On this day in 1930, his fiftieth birthday, while on an expedition to Greenland, Wegener will leave his base camp for the western coast and will not be seen again. Today in the Historical Sciences is a feature of Darwin-L, an international network discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences. I received a note from Sylvia Sharnoff thanking me and others in the lichen discussion group for help on her National Geographic article. She asked me whether we could give her some more and urgent help. As many of you know Steve and Sylvia Sharnoff are collaborating with Ernie Brodo to produce a richly colour-illustrated book on Lichens of North America.
Work is already well underway.
They have also cut contract negotiations with Yale University Press. Ernie will be meeting the Interim President of the museum Mr Colin Eades on November 7th. The plan is to produce a treatment of 790 illustrated macro- and microlichens, with comparative notes on many others. Descriptions, keys and distribution maps would be provided for each illustrated species. Introductory chapters would cover morphology, chemistry, phytogeography, uses, methods for lichen study, and basic classification.