258 THE MOUNTAIN. 



stampedings on the announcement of the great generaliza- 

 tions of science : * 



" On this subject the investigations of Meyer are exceed- 

 ingly interesting. By sowing Lichens he arrived at some 

 curious conclusions, the chief of which are that, like other 

 imperfect plants, they may owe their origin either to an 

 elementary or a reproductive generating power, the latter 

 capable of development like the plant by which they are 

 borne : that decomposed vegetable and some inorganic 

 matter, are equally capable of assuming organization under 

 the influence of water and light ; and that the pulverulent 

 matter of Lichens is that which is subject to this kind of 

 indefinite propagation, while the spores lying in the shields 

 are the only part that will really multiply the species. He 

 further says, that he has ascertained, by means of experi- 

 ments from seed, that supposed species, and even some genera 

 of Acharius, are all forms of the same ; as, for instance, 

 Lecanora cerina, Lecidea luteo-alba, and others, of the com- 

 mon Parmelia parietina."f 



Of the character, habits of distribution, general nature of 

 the Lichens, Lindley proceeds to observe : " Pulverulent 

 Lichens are the first plants that clothe the bare rocks of 

 newly-formed islands in the midst of the ocean ; foliaceous 

 Lichens follow these, and then Mosses and Liverworts. 

 (D'Urville, Ann. Sc. 6, 54.) They are found upon trees, 

 rocks, stones, bricks, pales, and similar places ; and the same 

 species seem to be found in many different parts of the 

 world : thus the Lichens of North America differ little from 

 those of Europe. They are not met with on decaying mat- 



* The mountain being a page of the venerable tome, perhaps a 

 whole leaf of "that elder Scripture writ by God's own hand, Na- 

 ture," would not desire to appear, except as witness or attorney for 

 plaintiff in issues against those profane burglars, pick-locks, and 

 spies, in the private workshop of the Almighty, called men of science, 

 (wicked rogues of nescience! /) and the municipal corps, or regularly 

 organized simon-pure orthodox police of Heaven. 



f Vegetable Kingdom, John Lindley, Lichenales. 



