Mosses and Lichens

"MOSSES AND LICHENS" begins with an eye-opening revelation of the usefulness of these lowly plants in the scheme of Nature. Their beauty grows upon us as we look for them, and give careful scrutiny to their marvellous structure and their loveliness of colouring. These are the pioneers of the vegetable kingdom. The reindeer grazes on a lichen most of the year; sphaghum moss transforms ponds into peat bogs. Iceland moss is used as food, and the manna of the Israelites is believed to have been derived from a lichen.

The more one dips into the study of these plants the wider becomes his horizon, the more of marvel and surprise every walk in the woods reveals.

The origin and nature of lichens, liverworts, and leafy mosses, with an account of the life history of a typical species of each is followed by an orderly description of genera and species. Directions are given for collecting and preserving specimens. The illustrations are copious, and greatly assist in the identifying of species.