ADDITIONS TO THE BRITISH RAMALINEI. 
143 
derian arrangement, the two genera of the Sporologists, Bacidia 
and Biatorina , rightly constitute merely sections of the genus 
Lecidea , and as the two specific names Arnoldiana and Arnoldi are 
in reality homonymous, it becomes necessary to re-name the former 
of these species. I therefore propose to call it Lecidea Lar- 
balestieri, Cromb., in compliment to Mr. Larbalestier, who by 
his extensive researches has added so many interesting species to 
the genus Lecidea. I may also observe that though Lecidea Lar- 
balestieri has not yet been recorded as detected in this country, 
there is every reason to believe that it will yet be found ; and, 
indeed, some of our specimens of Lecidea inundata (Fr.), with 
which it is apt to be confounded, may, on re-examination, be seen 
to be referable to this species. 
J. M. C. 
OBSERVATIONS ON MICROGONIDIA. 
By the Rev. J. M. Crombie, F.L.S. 
At one time even Schwendener himself discovered and taught 
that the gonidia of Lichens had their origin in the hyphse, though 
afterwards, no doubt, on finding out his fancied error, he surrendered 
this opinion, and inculcated the now notorious Schwendenerian 
hypothesis. 
At a later date, Fries fil. accepted the said discovery and pro- 
mulgated it very truthfully in “ Lich. Scand.,” p. 7, where he 
writes as follows : — “ Depending on my own observations, I 
embrace and defend this opinion ” — viz., that the gonidia have 
their origin from the hyphse. “ For the hyphae are not only elon- 
gated into filaments, but also send out short ramules. The 
terminal cell of the ramule is gradually dilated ; it becomes sub- 
globose and at length is filled with chlorophyll (or a sub-similar 
substance) ; in a few that cell is changed into a gonidium, which 
finally is divided in various ways, and gives origin to other 
gonidia.” These observations of the distinguished author are thus 
affirmed to be in accordance with nature, and teach that the gonidia 
have their origin in the simple, globulose terminal dilatation of the 
ramules of the hyphse. This dilated portion is filled with green 
matter, and eventually is separated from the filament, and so 
becomes a free gonidium. Such is the extremely simple history 
of the origin of gonidia in Lichens according to Fries fil. 
It would now, however, appear that these observations have not 
been correctly made. For Dr. Minks has recently come forward 
with other and new observations concerning the origin of the 
gonidia in the hyphse, which are entirely different to those recorded 
by Schwendener and Fries fil. In a paper in the “ Flora,” 1878, 
Nos. 15-18, entitled “ Das Microgonidium,” he states that he has 
