MOSSES. 
A few of the most remarkable mosses are, 
the greater water-moss, the grey bog-moss, 
the yellow powder-wort, and the common 
club moss. 
Mosses are almost constantly green, and 
have the finest verdure in autumn. Some of 
the mosses spread in a continued leaf; others 
grow hollow above, like small cups ; others 
round on the top, like mushrooms ; and some 
shoot out in branches. All these have their 
different seeds, which do not require great 
delicacy of soil, but take root on any thing 
where they can grow unmolested. Those 
mosses which rise immediately from the earth 
are more perfect; some of them white and 
hollow, or fistulous; and some of them not 
much inferior to regular plants. The more 
perfect sorts grow on stones, in the form of a 
fine pile or fur, like velvet, and of a glossy 
colour, between green and black. But the 
first sort, which appears like scurf or crust, 
seems to rise but one degree above the un¬ 
wrought mould or earth. An unhealthy tree 
is never without these imperfect super-plants ; 
and the more unhealthy the tree is, the better 
they thrive. 
The Moss is of the class Cryptogamia, and 
order Musci. 
