LICHEN'-rLOEA OF NOETnERX ErfiOPE. 367 



obscure terricolous species, which are the most interesting, and 

 contain, in countries not yet thoroughly explored, a large propor- 

 tion of novelties. The larger, foliaceous, filamentous, and fruti- 

 culose species, such as the genera ParmeJia, Physcia, Umhilicaria, 

 Peltigera, Sticia, Cetraria, Platysma. Collema^ Lepiogium^ Usnea] 

 Alecloria, Sajnalina^ and Everniay I am in the habit of moistening 

 on collection, and compressing while moist into ball-shaped masses, 

 which carry comparatively well if carefully packed, and only re- 

 quu'e soaking in water before laying them out for the herbarium. 

 Of this group a large proportion is generally preserved in excel- 

 lent condition, even though they should not be unpacked and pre- 

 pared for the herbarium for months after collection. Saxicolous 

 and corticolous species again, if carefully packed like minerals, 

 may also carry comparatively well. But tlie jolting and attrition 

 to which, even in our railways, steamers, and carriers' vans (and 

 infinitely more so on the rough and ru^i^ged roads of mountainous 

 countries, in such vehicles or by such modes of transport as the 

 carriole of IN'orway, the waggonette of Xew Zealand, the pony of 

 Iceland), the contents of boxes, however carefully packed, are sub- 

 jected, prove fatal to a proportion even of saxicolous and corti- 

 colous species, and still more so to terricolous, corticolous, musci- 

 colous, or saxicolous CaUceij Bceomycei, Stereocaulei, Cladonieiy 

 Leciclei^ or Lecanorei. Thus by travel or transport alone, after 

 collection, I have sometimes estimated my loss as high as one-half 

 of all the species likely to possess interest or novelty. 



My collections, moreover, were made within very limited periods 

 and areas. The Icelandic list is the produce of about a week's 

 collection in the district around the capital, Eeykjavik, between the 

 hot springs of Laugarness, on the one sidc^three miles eastward), 

 and the port of Havnafjord on the other (six miles westward). 

 The localities or habitats specially examined were the walls in and 

 around Beykjavik,the moors, and the boulders abundantly scattered 

 thereon, about the old Observatory (56 feet) and Cemetery^ the 

 coasts of Eeykjavik Bay, and the coast-cliffs of the island of 

 Videy in the same bay. The Eeykjavik district consists mostly 

 of what would be called in Scotland "moorland," or of a more or 

 less barren stony desert comparable with the "Tundras" of Eastern 

 Lapland as these have been recently described by rdlman. '^o 

 hills were visited, nor heights above about 100 feet, nor did my 

 excursions extend inland more than three miles from the coast. 

 The species collected were mostly saxicolous, and largely also ter- 

 ricolous and muscicolous. None were cortieoIo?fs, in consequence 



of t!ie total absence of trees and comparative absence of shrubs — a 



