120 THE SPORES OF LICHENS. 
Had this specimen thus "bleached" on being removed 
from one tank to another, done so on being taken wholly 
from the water, and, thus faded, had been preserved in al- 
cohol, might it not have been looked upon as an Aphrode- 
derus albidus nov. spec., and thus additional synonomy been 
offered to the confusion now existing? Is it, in fact, safe to 
consider color as of any value as a specific character, unless 
by comparing many specimens, and finding the variation 
uniform and without gradations? We have found the 
" sun-fish” as a group, to vary very much in accordance with 
the character of the stream in which they were found; and 
in an aquarium the “banded sunfish” (Mesogonistius 
chatodon Gill), is verily kaleidoscopic. The black bands 
actually sometimes wholly disappear ! 
THE SPORES OF LICHENS. 
BY H. WILLEY. 
THE importance of the spores in the study of lichens, 
will perhaps render interesting a more extended reference 
to this branch of lichen history. The spores were known 
to Micheli, who figures those of several species in his “ Nova 
Genera Plantarum,” 1729, as did also Acharius in his “ Lich- 
enographia Universalis,” 1810. But he made no use of them 
in his system. The great work of Fries, “ Lichenographia 
Europæa Reformata,” 1831, has no reference to the spores, 
excepting a few remarks in regard to their germination ; 
but Eschweiler in the same year, made a somewhat care- 
ful examination of them, and noticed their various forms, 
although he endeavored in vain, he says, to make use of the 
.spore-ease in distinguishing genera. Fée, in the supplement 
to his "Essai," 1837, was the first to do this, and to figure 
and describe accurately the spore-cases and spores. But 
