134 THE VARENNE COLLECTION OF LICHENS.
I have compared a large number of the plants with those in
the herbarium of British Lichens at the Museum of Natural
History, South Kensington; and, in cases where doubt has
arisen respecting the present naming, I have consulted Miss A.
Lorrain Smith, who has always been ready to render most
valuable assistance. On a detailed examination of the specimens,
one notes many signs of the great care exercised by Varenne in
the identification of his lichens. It was said of him, in a paper
by E. D. Marquand,* that, even on his death-bed, the recollec-
tion that he had inadvertently entered a lichen under a wrong
name disturbed his peace of mind, and caused him uneasiness
until the error was rectified. The paper referred to above
includes a list of lichens, collected in Kelvedon and its neigh-
bourhood, made by Varenne just previous to his death.
The collection now in the possession of the Club does not
contain many more than a sixth of the specimens enumerated
in that list, but it includes several that were collected elsewhere.
It is greatly to be regretted that so many of the Kelvedon lichens
of Varenne's herbarium have been lost or have perished in some
way or other. The Kelvedon list records 662 specimens, made
up of 176 species, 97 forms, 47 varieties, and 342 duplicates.
The duplicates arise, of course, through the same species, etc.,
being collected in Kelvedon and in two or three other localities
near by.
The Varenne lichens now in the Club's possession number
440 specimens, including forms, varieties, and duplicates. Of
these, 124 are Essex species. Two are, however, no longer
regarded as lichens, but find a place with the fungi.
The specimens vary very much as to the state of preservation.
Many are in very good condition, while some of a foliose
character (which become very brittle when dry) have been
damaged in transit, and others have suffered from damp.
These Essex lichens, with others in the Club's herbarium,
form a. nucleus for a lichen flora for the county.
* Essex Nat., vol. v., p. 3.