THE VARENNE COLLECTION OF LICHENS. 133
publication, costing 35s. He also showed a French book on colours
with about 1,400 different shades, costing about a guinea.
Both these works are practically useless for the general public; and
the speaker suggested that, for ordinary use, an illustrated list of about
200 colours should be prepared and issued at the cost not exceeding one
shilling.
After a short discussion, it was agreed unanimously that standardisa-
tion of colour nomenclature was necessary; that a recommendation to
the Council should be made to that effect; and that, in the meantime,
the delegates of the Corresponding Societies should bring the matter
before their respective societies with the view of hastening this important
and useful work.
THE VARENNE COLLECTION OF LICHENS:
A REPORT ON ITS PRESENT CONDITION.
By Robert Paulson, F.L.S.
[Read 27th November 1915.]
THE Varenne Collection of Lichens was purchased by the
Essex Field Club in March 1901.* It formed part
of the herbarium of the late Ezekiel George Varenne, M.R.C.S.,
of Kelvedon, Essex, who died 27th April 1887.†
When this collection came into the possession of the Club
fourteen years after the death of the collector, the specimens
were contained in a cardboard box and were without any arrange-
ment whatever. They were mounted, some on cards of various
sizes, some on pieces of cartridge paper, and had labels
mostly in the handwriting of Varenne. They had been collected
in the neighbourhood of Kelvedon, on Dartmoor, and in West
Cornwall. A few only had come from other districts. With
the collection was included Varenne's copy of the Manual of
British Lichens (1861), by William Mudd, with marginal notes
by Varenne, chiefly relating to Essex plants. They were named
according to Leighton's Lichen Flora (third ed., 1879).
The collection has now been arranged in agreement with
the classification adopted in A Monograph of British Lichens,
part I. by Crombie; part II. by A. Lorrain Smith. The nomen-
clature of British Lichens has changed considerably since
the time of Varenne, and it will be necessary to add a new
identification card to many of the specimens.
* See Essex Nat., xii., p. 167.
† See Essex Nat., v., pp. 42-44 (with portrait).