286 lister: herbals and ancient books on botany. 
the loss of bright colour when the light-intensity decreases. 
Lichens growing on the edge of a rock, fully exposed to the direct 
rays of the sun, can often be found growing over the edge into 
the shade. In these cases, there is a distinct loss of colour ; 
the plant looks less healthy, and it sometimes becomes more 
or less powdery, or leprous. 
If one knows the trees of a wood thoroughly well, it is no 
uncommon thing to find trunks hitherto covered with patches 
of Parmelia physodes, P. saxatilis, P. sulcata, or P. caperata 
in a healthy state suddenly alter in appearance, with the lichen 
changed to a dull colour or completely shrivelled. In the case of 
P. physodes, it will be found that some enemy, probably a small 
beetle, has completely eaten away the gonidial layer, and so 
thoroughly has this been done that not a vestige of green can be 
found. Neighbouring trees are sometimes denuded of this lichen 
in a very short period, possibly in no more than a few days. 
A LIST OF HERBALS AND ANCIENT BOOKS 
ON BOTANY EXHIBITED AT A MEETING OF 
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB, 37 OCTOBER 1917; 
WITH NOTES FROM MRS. ARBER’S “ HERBALS.” 
COMPILED BY THE PRESIDENT. 
The Latin Herbarius. 
N O title page. Leaf 2 has MS. note ‘‘ Paris, 1485,” and begins 
[R]ogatu plurimo[rum] . . . ’ Leaf a.i begins 
‘ Absintheum, Aluyne.’ 
Small 4to. The last thirty-six pages have scarlet initial 
letters to the paragraphs, inserted by hand. 
The book consists chiefly of a list of medicinal plants with 
their virtues, arranged in alphabetical order. They are illus¬ 
trated by bold and decorative, if somewhat crude, woodcuts, 
which were probably copies of pictures in much older manu¬ 
scripts. The first edition of this work was printed at Maintz 
in 1484. It is anonymous, and is a compilation from certain 
classical and Arabian authors ; none are quoted of a later date 
than 1350. 
[Pent by Miss Willmott] 
The German Herbarius. 
Title : ‘‘ In disen Buch 1st tier Herbary : oder kreuterbuch : 
