Introduction. 



The scitMitisl and |)liil()s()j)her Jolum Ernsl (iunncrus was 

 hishop in TroiulhjiMu (Dronlheini) Irom 1758 lo Ihis (kalh in 1773. 

 The i'xlensive Iravcls which his olfice imposod on him gave him 

 nuieh opporlnnity lo eolleel nalural euriosilies. His diocese was 

 large - Ironi Ronisdal lo Ihe Rnssian Ironlier, Ihen a Iravel ol" 

 scveial monlhs, and il was a lena ineognila to Ihe naluralisl. The 

 enthusiastic hishop also inlerested many ol" his clergymen for 

 nature, they eolleeled pkints, animals, and minerals, and sent lo 

 him. 



He lluis hroughl logelher valuahle colleclions. Aller his dealh 

 Ihey were ac(|uired hy Ihe ^Kongelige Videnskahers Selskah» (The 

 r.oyal Seienlilic Sociely), in Trondhjem (l)ronlheim), Ihe oldesl 

 scienliiic sociely in Xorway, which was eslal)lished on his inilialive. 



Giinneriis emhodied the results of his hotanical researches in 

 his Flora Norvegica I— II. The firsl part was printed in 

 Trondhjem 17(56 (Nidrosia MDCCLXVI), Ihe second part in Kjo. 

 henhavn. according lo Ihe lille page (Halnia MDCCLXXII) in 1772, 

 hul Ihis is evidenliy nol correct,*) il was piinled in 177{). 



The scientisl's ohject was then to detecl and descrihe Ihe jjlanls 

 and animals l'ound in his dislricl. This lask occupied Ihe scienlisls 

 lor a long lime. To invesligale Iheir dislrihulion and hiology was 

 a work llial musl he lelt lo later generalions. (hinnrnis himsell" 

 devoled liimsell' lo Ihe l'ormer prohlem. his slalements of the hahi- 

 lals are nol always so accurale as we would like lo have Ihem — 

 especially in his herharium — hul they are remarkahle for his lime. 



The iichens are only a small part of his herharium, and his 

 hotanical invesligalions are nol so im])orlanl as his zoologicai. 

 Never Ihe less allentation should he callcd lo his iichen herharium 

 also. Il conlains interesting things and hears a teslimony to his 

 comprehensive genius as well as lo the difficulties which his isola- 

 tion laid ui)on him. 



The Iichens are here enumerated in Ihe same order as in his 

 Mora Norvegica. The arrangement is not syslemalical, he has firsi 

 menlioned the piants thai firsl came to his knowledge. — Several 

 I)lanls are now missing in his herbarium. 



For hiograj)hical information, see Ove Dahl: Bisko]) dunnerus' 



*) xMiiuU'hhulo p. 92. 



