HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-G OSSIF. 



97 



ON COLLECTING MICRO-FUNGL 



By CHARLES F. W. T. WILLIAMS, St. John's College, Cambridge. 



my paper on 

 mounting Micro- 

 Fungi (Science- 

 Gossip 1879, 

 p. 3), I did not 

 enter into details 

 regarding the col- 

 lecting of speci- 

 mens, on the 

 mounting of which 

 I was treating, 

 and it will be seen 

 on reference that 

 I advised those 

 readers whose 

 knowledge on that 

 head was some- 

 what obscure to 

 consult a well- 

 known and valued 

 text book on the 

 subject. I have recently thought, however, that a 

 few remarks on the subject of collecting may be of 

 use to those readers who, like the writer, are amateur 

 collectors, and investigators, of that interesting tribe 

 of plants — Fungi — and, more especially, that division 

 of them called Micro-Fungi. As during the present 

 year I hope to be able to give from time to time, in 

 these pages, an account of the various micro-fungi to 

 be met with in and around the neighbourhood of 

 Bath — just in the same manner as I endeavoured to 

 describe, though very imperfectly, some of the plants 

 to be found near the city* — I thought a paper on 

 collecting might form, so to speak, a preface to 

 my work. 



It cannot be too often repeated and impressed on 

 lovers of nature, how comparatively few are the 

 workers in this particular branch of study, and con- 

 sequently how vast a field is before one for research 

 and discovery. 



The work is, I contend, important and interesting, 



* See Science-Gossip, 1880, pp. 229-274. 

 No. 197.— May 1881. 



Important, because, not only is it well that we should 

 have as perfect a knowledge as possible of such minute 

 structures as the micro-fungi ; but also because the 

 subject is of great importance, when we consider the 

 effect these minute forms must in most cases have on 

 the tissues of the phanerogamic plants, on which they 

 are for the most part found. Now, in both cases the 

 works on the subject, and the knowledge so far gained, 

 is, comparatively speaking, small.* Interesting, 

 because the forms are varied and beautiful, and the 

 search for them takes us into the most beautiful 

 haunts of nature. 



I suppose few of those who take up this study are 

 absolutely ignorant of other branches of Botany, 

 because it seems to me, that a knowledge of our 

 flowering plants is of importance in our research, 

 and I would endeavour to impress on the minds of 

 beginners the great benefit they would derive in their 

 rambles after micro-fungi, from a previous knowledge 

 of taxological botany. 



The apparatus required for collecting is neither 

 numerous nor expensive. 



What will be wanted are the following four things ; 

 (i) a pocket lens; (2) pair of forceps; (3) pair of 

 scissors ; (4) a box of some sort, or what is better, a 

 satchel containing many boxes. 



As regards the boxes, small cigarette- and large 

 pill-boxes will be found most useful. 



Do not mix your specimens ; keep them apart, and 

 remember that it is quite sufficient to cut off with your 

 scissors the leaves on which the Fungus is located. 

 To pull a plant up by the roots, to take a few of its 

 leaves, and fling the rest away (as I have seen done), 

 is, I maintain, neither a scientific way of proceeding, 

 nor does it show the proper feeling and regard that 

 naturalists should cherish for all the works of nature. 



The next point for us to consider in collecting is. 

 Where are we to go ? 



My answer is. Everywhere, Every locality where 

 plants flourish must be good hunting ground. Sunny 



• See " Carpenter on the Microscope," 5th edit. p. 395 ; see 

 p. 304. Cooke's "Rust. Smut, Mildew, and Mould," 3rd edit.. 

 p. 185. Balfour's " Oui''i»^5>" ^nd edit. p. 424. 



