1841.] 071 Lichens. 889 



Variolaria faginea, Pers. 



The intensely bitter taste of this Lichen, according to Messrs. Turner 

 and Boms, distinguishes it from every species hitherto discoverd. It is 

 upon this circumstance, which we have never found to vary, that we 

 have been induced to place our chief reliance in making V. faginea and 

 disco'idea distinct. Mons. Braconnot detected in this and several other crus- 

 taceous Lichens, oxalic acid ; in the present plant in such abundance, that 100 

 parts yielded 18 of lime, combined with 29.4 of oxalic acid, nearly the 

 same quantity in other crustaceous Lichens, and he remarks, that oxa- 

 late of lime bears the same relation to the Cryptogamia, as carbonate 

 of lime to corals, and phosphate of lime to the bony structure of the 

 more perfect animals. It diminishes, however, in the family of Lichens in 

 proportion as the species lose their general crustaceous texture, and 

 approach more and more to the membranous or cartilaginous, although 

 the latter also contain a considerable portion of salt. M. Braconnot strongly 

 recommends the adoption of V. faginea in the production of oxalic acid, and 

 an eminent French chemist now informs me, that it is so employed in 

 France, and upon a very extensive scale. — English Flora, vol. v. p. 169. 



Note, — Dr. Royle notices numerous species of crustaceous Lichens as in- 

 digenous to India generally, and as found both on rocks and trees ; 

 they belong to the genera Lecanora, Lecidets, Lepraria, Verrucaria, &c. — 

 Illustrations vol. i. p. 437. 



Lecanora Parella, Ach. 



This is the Parelle of Auvergne and other parts, where it is extensive- 

 ly employed to produce a dye far superior to that of the Cudbear, 

 and quite equal to that of the Archil. — English Flora, vol. v. p. 191. 



Note. — The Parelle which grows chiefly on basaltic rocks, is inferior 

 to Roccella tinctoria, (Archil,) in not bearing ebullition, and has the dis- 

 advantage of not answering with alum, which destroys the colour. — 

 lire's Dictionary of Arts, p. 52. 



Lecanora tartarea, Ach. 



This is the famous Cudbear, (so called after a Mr. Cuthbert, who first 

 brought it into use,) employed to produce a purple for dyeing wool- 

 len yarn, and nowhere perhaps used to so great an extent as in the manu- 

 factory of Mr. Macintosh of Glasgow. This gentleman imports it largely 

 from Norway, where it grows more abundantly than with us ; yet in 

 the Highland districts, many an industrious peasant gets a living by scrap- 

 ing off this Lichen with an iron hook and sending it to the Glasgow market. 

 When I was in the neighbourhood of Fort Augustus some years ago, I was 



