. British mosses, their homes, aspects, structure and uses : with a coloured figure of each species etched from nature. INTEODVGTION. 31. Section V. THE USE OF MOSSES. Nothiug is useless in creation. The tiniest insects, the smallest mosses, have their uses. Kev. J. C. Ryle. HE ends for whicli mosses are designed are precisely those which their structure is best calculated to fulfil. They need depth, thick- ness, and warmth ; these are obtained by their multitude of stems crossiag and recrossing each other; softness, gained by their iafinity of little leaves; flexibility and toughness, which w
. British mosses, their homes, aspects, structure and uses : with a coloured figure of each species etched from nature. INTEODVGTION. 31. Section V. THE USE OF MOSSES. Nothiug is useless in creation. The tiniest insects, the smallest mosses, have their uses. Kev. J. C. Ryle. HE ends for whicli mosses are designed are precisely those which their structure is best calculated to fulfil. They need depth, thick- ness, and warmth ; these are obtained by their multitude of stems crossiag and recrossing each other; softness, gained by their iafinity of little leaves; flexibility and toughness, which we find in their stems; power to make their way anywhere, which is given by the minuteness of their seeds; ability to maintaia life, and hardihood of constitution, wherewith they are endowed through their cellular texture and atmospheric nourishment. In the order of the universe we find that the use of mosses is primarily to other and more highly organized plants. They are spread at the roots of trees, and by their depth keep the warmth about them in winter, and the moisture in summer, which are necessary to their growth. But when they grow on their trunks and branches, mosses injure trees, by cloggiag their breathing pores. We next find that mosses are useful to the insect tribe, countless numbers of which find homes among their branches, and roam about ia their shades as in mighty forests, and look with their thousand eyes upon the wonders of their gauzy leaves, and sun their wiags of purple and of gold, and burnish their shining armour upon the poKshed columns of their urns. Over her nest the carder-bee constructs a dome of moss; and ascending higher yet, we find the bird's nest " built of wool and hay and ; " Like loves like," and mosses and birds are formed to be together, for every mossy bank is fuU of mimic birds'-nests, with little brown heads peeping up from amid the feathers;' with moss the squirrel hnes his nest, ^ Nor is this the only instanc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1874
