Fink: Nature and Classification of Lichens 233 



However, botanists are influenced in their thought regarding 

 lichens by " tradition," a fact that appears in writing about these 

 plants, though not so certainly in the views expressed as in the 

 faulty and ambiguous phraseology used. 



Of 115 replies, 19 or about 17 per cent, favor distribution, and 

 14 more or about 12 per cent, think that lichens may be dis- 

 tributed, but for one reason or another prefer that they shall 

 remain a distinct group. About 29 per cent, of those who re- 

 plied admit the possibility of distribution, though only the 17 

 per cent, favor it outright. Twenty-one (21) American and 11 

 European replies state that lichens may or should be distributed. 

 Twenty-three (23) American and 30 European replies state 

 that lichens compose a group with distinct characters. Twenty- 

 nine (29) American and 14 European replies state that lichens 

 should be retained in a special group for practical purposes. 

 Nine (9) Americans and 12 Europeans mention dual nature 

 of lichens or consortism as the basis for maintaining the group 

 Lichenes. By a series of proportions (49:63: :n:x, etc.) the 

 relative opinion of Americans and Europeans may be obtained, 

 based upon what would appear in an equal number of replies 

 from America and Europe. By such proportions, it appears 

 that, had the number of replies been equal from the two coun- 

 tries, 14 Europeans and 21 Americans would have stood for 

 distribution as desirable or at least a feasible solution. For 

 lichens as a group with distinct characters the proportion would 

 be 39 Europeans and 23 Americans, for the group Lichenes for 

 convenience 17 Europeans and 29 Americans, and for expressed 

 belief in the dual nature of lichens 15 Europeans and 9 Ameri- 

 cans. 



Botanists, it would appear from the correspondence, may be 

 divided into three groups : those who regard classification a 

 practical matter or an applied science ; those who think that 

 classification should, first of all, express relationship or be 

 natural ; and those who give nearly equal weight to each of these 

 matters. Assuming that the number of replies from each country 

 is sufficient to express the consensus for that country, it would 

 seem from next to the last proportion above that Europeans 

 have more regard for classification as a pure science than do 



