50 
ANNALS OF THE 
2. If the collector make a point of gathering specimens of everything he meets 
which belongs to the lichen family, he will run a good chance of including some 
novelties, perhaps new species or varieties. This is extremely probable in a country 
like Canada, seeing that it is seldom a miscellaneous collection of lichens is made in 
any part of Britain at all remote from the larger towns without the discovery of in- 
teresting novelties. New species are most likely to be met with among the very 
minute crustaceoas lichens, which grow on rocks or trees, and which cannot be pro- 
perly studied without the aid of the microscope ; among species belonging, for in- 
stance, to such genera as Lecidea, Lecanora, Graphis, Opegrapha, Calicium. It is 
not to be expected that the tyro should make these microscopical examinations or 
discoveries for himself : he will probably require the assistance of some experienced 
microscopist or lichenologist. 
3. The applications of lichens to the arts are daily becoming more numerous 
and important. New dye-lichens are being discovered in India and the East. Among 
specimens of the latter recently sent me from India, I have found species not hither- 
to known to be of any practical use. Again, recently the probability has been 
shown, on good grounds, that a lichen — the Lecanora esculenta of Pallas — was the 
Manna of the Bible. 
4. The colorific capability of a lichen, so far as regards a red or purple dye of 
the nature of orchil or cudbear, may be readily discovered by simply macerating 
the lichen — chopped into small fragments or pulverised according to the nature of 
its thallus — in a weakish solution of common hartshorn or ammonia, (the quantity 
not much covering the lichen in a vial of any sort), allowing the mixture to stand a 
few days in a warmish part of the house, and shaking it frequently, so as to expose 
the mass to the action of the air. Colorific lichens of this class belong chiefly to the 
genera Roccella, Umbilicaria, Parmelia and Lecanora. 
5. The colorific capability of a lichen, so far as regards other colors — chiefly 
brown and yellow — may be easily ascertained by simply boiling the lichen, chopped 
or pulverized as before, in a small quantity of water. Colorific lichens of this class 
belong chiefly to the genera Parmelia, Sticta, Cetraria, &c. 
6. Whether a lichen contains, and, if so, how much, mucilage or starch may be 
ascertained by the same means as last mentioned, and allowing the mixture to cool, 
when it will gelatinise more or less, if it contain much mucilage. Cetraria Islandica 
and some of the Umbilicarias are illustrations. 
7. Contributions may also be made to our knowledge of the economical appli- 
cations of lichens by ascertaining whether any and what species are, or have been, 
used in Canada by the native Indians to yield food, dyes, &c., noting all the par- 
ticulars of such uses. 
8. Lichens are very easily collected and transported ; they require no sort of 
preparation ; they may be simply allowed to dry in the open air and packed as 
