y^ 



62 GUIDE TO THE STUDY OF LICHENS. 



aid of the jack-knife or perhaps the carpenter's chisel 

 and the hammer. Crustose rock-lichens require the 

 use of the cold-chisel and the hammer. If the rock is 

 stratified, or " chips " easily, no difficulty will be en- 

 countered, but if the rock is not stratified, for example, 

 granite, the chisel is of little value ; the best that can 

 be done is to knock off fragments of the rock from 

 the corners ; it will be impossible to get thin specimens. 



Each specimen, as it is collected, should be carefully 

 examined with a lens carried for that purpose ; search 

 for apothecia, observe the color, size, and general 

 contour ; where does it grow — on rocks, trees, or soil ? 

 the altitude, locality, etc. These points, and others 

 which may seem interesting, should be entered in a 

 note-book ; they will be found very useful in the sub- 

 sequent study of the specimen. A leisurely collector 

 may take with him a guide to the study of lichens and 

 determine at least some of the material collected, but 

 this is not at all urged, as the final studying of the ma- 

 terial is to be done at home. 



Collected material requires no immediate care. It 

 may be kept tied up in bundles until wanted for study, 

 or until it is intended to prepare the specimens for 

 mounting. One thing must, however, be remembered : 

 do not stow away large packages of lichens in a moist 

 place, because in a few days they will be covered over 

 with mould, thus ruining the specimens. Another 

 thing to be guarded against, is not to keep thoroughly 

 wet specimens wrapped in bundles for more than a few 

 hours, as many species will change color, the result of 

 chemical processes ; this is particularly true of some 



