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238 ADDITIONS TO THE IRISH MOSS FLORA.
belonging to the North American Drepanlum group of Hypnums,
which he was studying and comparing with European forms. He
writes as follows :
" I was surprised to find in my herbarium a little barren specimen
of Htipnum circinale Hook., gathered at Killarney (Ireland) by
Mons. D. Moore. This specimen came from the herbarium of my
honoured father-in-law, M. Piri, and is labelled Hypniun hamulosuin
B. S. Damp rocks, Killarney (Ireland), leg, D. Moore. The specimen
gathered at Killarney, according to the label, on rocks is quite
identical with the specimens growing on bark from North America."
I wrote to M. J. Cardot asking him for a small portion, that I
might be enabled to identify the plant, and he very kindly sent me
the specimen which he stated he had already shown to Dr. Braithwaite.
I am a little puzzled to know why Dr. Braithwaite should
take it for any form of U. hitimihmim, as its appearance at once
suggests H. cujyressiforme, especially the filifonne group, and I fear
there has be'^n some mistake as to where it was found growing,
probably through a mis-translation. It was more likely to be found
by Dr. Moore on rotting wood among the damp moist rocks at
Killarney. I have sent M. Cardot a specimen gathered in the
same locality, found on the bark of trees, which I could not well
separate from it. It is described in Miiller's ' Synopsis Muscorum,'
vol. ii. p. 318. " H. circinale Hook. Muse. Ex. t. 107. Patria. In
arboribus in plaga occidentali Americfe meridionalis {Menzies, 1793)
E Chile habuit Haiiipe." " H. [Stereodon) circinalis (Alenz. Hook.) "
Bridel, Bryologia Universa, vol. ii., p. 621. It is also described by
Lesquereux, in his ' Mosses of North America.'
H. canariense Brid. Xeckern canariensis Brid. (Sp. Muse. ii. p.
29) ; Miiller, Syn. Muse. ii. p. 109. Hypnum jiaijcUia imtar caud(P.
vulpincB, Dill. Muse. p. 306, t. 39, fig. 41. Astrudontium canariense
Dill., Brid. vol. ii. p. 220.
" In omnibus insulis Canariis praesertim in Teneriffa sylvis
prope Lagunam truncus arborum vetustos habitans. Hb. Dillen
Piudley, Bory, St. Vincent, Prof. Schmidt, 1815. Hab. On trunks
of trees, Cromaglown, Killarney (near the Hunting Tower), Dr.
Moore, 1872. fide S. 0. Lindberg."
A number of the mosses which inhabit Ireland have a remarkable
geographical distribution over various distant parts of the
world, affording subject for reflection on the climatical conditions of
plant life.
We will take at random a few familiar instances. The well
known aquatics, Foutinalis antipijretica and F. sqiitomnosa, are found
in North America ; Cnjphwa heteromalla in North America ; Hi/jniuiu
moUiiscuw in Northern India and North America; H. sericnini in
Nortli America, from Canada to the Rocky Mountains ; Andrea
petrojihila Ehrhart, from New Zealand, Northern Island, Fuegia,
Tasmania, Andes of South America ; this was found by Dr. Moore,
luxuriating on the rocks at Lugnaquilla, Wicklow, and in Connemara,
Galway. Several species of Spha//iiwn, Fi.ssidens bri/uides,
anl F. viridulns, are found in New Zealand, Northern Island, Bay
of Islands, and North America. The rare Cauipylopus intnijlcrus