110 OLAF GALL0E 



on closer investigation, to he an intermixture of individuals of fairly 

 different species, and \ve are unable to decide, with any certainty, 

 the individual for the sake of which the author has left it in trust 

 for after times! Else we must yield to the inevitable, viz., that lichen 

 determinations become rather uncertain, as they also prove to be 

 in many cases, or that later lichenologists shall simply disregard 

 the oldest author's right of priority, and re-establish the species 

 with better definition. It is absolutely necessary to get away from 

 the exaggerated belief in the principle of "original specimens." 



The following list of the lichens of Iceland, as indicated above, 

 is not based on my own studies of the species, according to the 

 "method of individuals" mentioned above, that would be an 



almost impossible work for one man, but is arranged in com- 

 pliance with the frequently -employed limitation of species, as 

 they are presented to us in the commonly known lichenological 

 works of Th. Fries, Crombie, Koerber, Ny lander and others; 

 the list, consequently, has the synonymic and systematic weaknesses 

 belonging to the works in question, but also has their strong point, 

 viz., it can safely and easily be compared with other lists worked 

 out on the same principles, a thing rather necessary for lichen- 

 ological reasons. 



In the list given I have drawn special attention to the species 

 which were found by myself as "new to Iceland," and which 

 are not found in Deichmann Bra nib's list of 190,'i The reason 

 why these species have been specially mentioned is simply that 

 I am myself responsible for their correct identification, and not 

 that special attention might be drawn to these new finds, and this 

 so much the less, as I cannot see anything specially meritorious in 

 finding new species; every well-trained collector can do so much. 



The following list by no means renders Deichmann Branth s 

 excellent work superfluous. In his work we find geographical sta- 

 tions for all the species, and my own list merely supplements his 

 by describing more fully the species new to Iceland, and by 1110- 

 derni/ing his limitation of species, making it more in agreement 

 with the demands of the time, without necessarily constituting 

 a real improvement in the apprehension of the species, which, as 

 already mentioned, will not be attained except by detailed investiga- 

 tions in the future, according to my "method of individuals." 



The following species have been found: 



