Exhibit 23.1 Consent of Independent Accountants The Board of Directors Bath National Corporation: We consent to incorporation by reference in this Form 8-K of Financial Isntitutions, Inc. of our report dated March 9, 2001, with respect to the consolidated statement of financial condition of Bath National Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2000, and the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, which report appears in the December 31, 2000 annual report on Form 10-K of Bath National Corporation. /s/ KPMG LLP Buffalo, New York May 11, 2001