185 
MOSS. 
Moss, that gathers on the stone, 
Crowned with its little knobs of flowers is seen. 
Cx,are. 
The least proclaims, and loudly too, 
The forming finger of a God. 
Carrington. 
Scarce any vegetables hâve branches without leaves, except coral ! ! 
Lord Bacon. 
It is very interesting to observe the new light every 
year thrown on the productions of nature by the 
researches of the learned. Amongst other sciences 
botany has not remained at a stand, and no one will 
deny its advance when they read the opinion Lord 
Bacon held regarding Moss. We find this first 
philosopher of his âge speaking of it as “ but the 
rudiment of a plant;” and again he says, “the Moss 
of trees is a kind of hair, or the juice of the tree 
secreted, that does not assimilate ; and upon great 
r 3 
