  A new branch of black hole solutions occurs along with the standard
Schwarzschild branch in $n$-dimensional extensions of general relativity
including terms quadratic in the Ricci tensor. The standard and new branches
cross at a point determined by a static negative-eigenvalue eigenfunction of
the Lichnerowicz operator, analogous to the Gross-Perry-Yaffe eigenfunction for
the Schwarzschild solution in standard $n=4$ dimensional general relativity.
This static eigenfunction has two r\^oles: both as a perturbation away from
Schwarzschild along the new black-hole branch and also as a threshold unstable
mode lying at the edge of a domain of Gregory-Laflamme-type instability of the
Schwarzschild solution for small-radius black holes. A thermodynamic analogy
with the Gubser and Mitra conjecture on the relation between quantum
thermodynamic and classical dynamical instabilities leads to a suggestion that
there may be a switch of stability properties between the old and new
black-hole branches for small black holes with radii below the branch crossing
point.
