14 



Bulletin 6 



Intensive Collecting, with a Lichenological Illustration. 



By George K. Merrill. 



Many years since, on a beautiful spring day, in company 

 with an agreeable but somewhat infirm old gentleman, the 

 writer sallied forth on a botanical ramble. A short tramp 

 from the point of our alighting from the "horse cars" brought 

 us to a bit of woodland. My companion stopped, disbur- 

 dened himself of his vasculum and coat, and gave vent to a 

 sigh of satisfaction. "What now?" I interrogated. "I go 

 no further," he replied. "But I believed we were to visit 

 Warner's Lake," was ventured. "My son, visit Warner's 

 Lake if such is your will, but I remain here, and furthermore 

 affirm that I shall beat you on collecting results." And he 

 made good his assertion. 



My readers probably have all shared in the experience, 

 after searching a limited area for a long time in the ordinary 

 manner in which botanists work, of coming at last on some 

 prized thing that one has passed and repassed many times. 

 This plant had probably existed in the place of its finding 

 for many years. You had simply overlooked it. In reflect- 

 ing afterward on the circumstance of its discovery it likely 

 occurred to you that had search been conducted a little more 

 carefully in the past the plant would have shown up long 

 before. In effect, had you, instead of a zealous effort to 

 cover all the ground possible in your ramble, thoroughly 

 combed the first field, or wood, or pasture, results might have 

 been attained unbelievably disproportionate to your inertia. 

 Search patiently in circumscribed areas, and you will come to 

 recognize that the dogma furnishes an excellent justification 

 for inertia. First sight of a habitat seldom reveals much of 

 interest, but the results of re-examination, close scrutiny and 

 exhaustive search may be surprising. 



In this little paper I will endeavor to give some account 

 of the lichens found on one tree and a fence immediately 

 beneath it, which illustrates what really careful search may 

 accomplish with a minimum of physical exertion. 



