14 NOTE ON LECANORA RALE8II. 



rium of the British Museum. On first examination, the specimens 

 thus received seemed to agree sufficiently well in all respects with 

 that plant as described in Mudd Man., p. 178, sub Biatorina, and I 

 took it for granted that they undoubtedly belonged to the desi- 

 derated Lecidea Muddii, Salw. (Mudd Man. I.e.), Cromb. Enum., 

 p. 74, Leight. Lich. FL, p. 315. The receipt, however, of several 

 other specimens, with the apothecia in various stages of develop- 

 ment, led me to hesitate somewhat as to the identity. This arose 

 from the circumstance that one or two of the younger apothecia 

 had a distinct though evanescent thalline margine. A more accu- 

 rate microscopical examination revealed also that the hypothecium 

 was moderate rather than thin, and nearly colourless rather than 

 pale-brown, as Mr. Mudd describes it — a discrepancy, however, 

 which can easily be otherwise accounted for, as the apothecia in 

 the specimen examined by Mr. Mudd were most probably old ones. 



On sending a specimen to Dr. Nylander for his opinion, he wrote 

 in reply that the plant was a true Lecanora and that if not the 

 veritable Lecidea Muddii, it was certainly a new species. This led 

 to farther correspondence with Mr. Curnow, the result of which 

 was the conclusion that Lecidea Ralfsii and Lecidea Muddii were 

 one and the same plant. The evidence for their specific identity 

 appears to be, in all respects, perfectly satisfactory, and is to the 

 following effect. Amongst some forty specimens of the lichens 

 described by Mr. Salwey in the above paper, one of his Lecidea 

 Ralfsii was deposited in the Penzance Museum. This was borrowed 

 by Mr. Mudd at the time when he was preparing his manual, and 

 by some oversight or other, was not afterwards returned. The 

 identity, however, even in the absence of the original specimen, 

 can otherwise be sufficiently established. That the original speci- 

 men of L. Ralfsii was identical with the specimens received by me 

 from Mr. Curnow, s. n. L. Muddii, is proved by others subse- 

 quently gathered by Mr. Ralfs in company with Mr. Curnow, in 

 the same spot, where the type, the appearance of which was quite 

 familiar to Mr. Ralfs, was obtained. And that Mr. Curnow's 

 specimens were identical with L. Muddii of Mr. Mudd's manual 

 is proved by their equally corresponding with the description there 

 given of this species, except in the two minor characters above 

 mentioned, and also in the thalline margin of the apothecia, which 

 evidently was wanting in the single specimen seen by Mr. Mudd. 

 It is, therefore, I think, quite clear that Lecidea Muddii, Salwey, 

 in litt. 18G0,=Lecidea Ralfsii, Salwey, in Ann. Nat. Hist. Soc, 

 Penzance, 1853, and that as the latter was the first published 

 name, the plant, for the reasons assigned, must henceforth be known 

 as Lecanora Ralfsii (Salw.), Cromb. Why Mr. Salwey should 

 have subsequently changed the name, and why L. Ralfsii should 

 not be alluded to in Mudd Man., is a matter with which we have 

 nothing to do, for our present purpose, though no doubt an easy 

 explanation could be given by either of these gentlemen. 



