250 



Mycologia 



Quotation 16 



From a point of historical continuity I presume they might 

 better be kept as a distinct class. I am not, however, familiar 

 enough with the intimate histology and the life histories of the 

 group to say whether or not from the morphological standpoint 

 they ought to be kept distinct or distributed among the fungi. 

 If they are to be broken up and distributed among the fungi, the 

 distribution should only be made after positive evidence has been 

 obtained in regard to the exact relationships between each lichen 

 genus or family and the fungus genus or family under which it is 

 placed. If a new distribution amongst the fungi is made it should 

 at least tend toward a permanent natural classification and should 

 not be a new classification of convenience. Mycologist, Patholo- 

 gist, I, 4. 



Quotation 17 



According to my judgment, it is practical and convenient to 

 maintain the lichens as a distinct class ; meanwhile it must be a 

 task of lichen investigation to discover the relation of the indi- 

 vidual lichen fungi to the isolated living fungi and to assign the 

 place of each of the former among the latter. Morphologist. 

 Mycologist, 2, 4* 



Quotation 18 



It seems to me that from every point of view the lichens should 

 be kept as a distinct group of plants. To distribute them among 

 the fungi would cause endless confusion. The group is so large 

 and the forms so highly differentiated that merely as a matter of 

 practice they must always have their own following of botanists, 

 who, if they devote themselves to the lichens, can have little 

 time for other specialization. Systems of classification must 

 first and foremost have a basis of common sense, since they are 

 at bottom devices for convenience, and no theoretical arrange- 



* M'einer Meinung nach ist es practisch und bequem, die Flechten als beson- 

 dere Klasse beizubehalten ; indessen miisste es eine Aufgabe der Flechtenfor- 

 schung sein, die Beziehung der einzelnen Flechtenpilze zu den isoliert lebenen 

 Pilzen zu erforschen und jedem der erstgenannten seinen Platz unter den letz- 

 genannten anzuweisen. 



