132 



Mode of drying Specimens ofYungi 



your pages, I shall be gratified. I enclose, for your inspec- 

 tion, some specimens, which have now been prepared between 

 three and four years, and which, you will, I think, allow, give 

 a very fair idea of the i^ungi in their growing state. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 

 Clapham Boad^ Teh, 1834. W. Christy, Jun. 



The extreme difficulty of preserving Fungi, so as to give 

 any idea of their colours or forms, except by the cumbrous 

 and expensive plan of putting them in spirits, must have struck 

 every one who has paid any attention to this beautiful branch 

 of botany. When on a visit, several years since, to my excel- 

 lent friend Dr. Hooker of Glasgow, I became much interested 

 with a mode which M. Klotzsch (who had then the care of 

 the doctor's herbarium) adopted to preserve various Fungi. 

 M. Klotzsch was good enough to give me some lessons on his 

 plan, by which, I am sorry to say, I have as yet profited little ; 

 but I have done at least enough to satisfy myself that it is not 

 only practicable, but easy and very successful. Preserving 

 Fungi in spirits, besides the expense for spirit and glasses, is 

 of little use as regards their colours ; whereas the plan alluded 

 to preserves the colours, in most instances, in their native 

 brilliancy. M. Klotzsch published, I believe, an account of 

 his plan in that valuable work the Botanical Miscellany ; but 

 as that work, from its comparatively high price, has a much 

 less extensive circulation than your Magazine, I think I may 

 be rendering a service to some of the lovers of Fungi by com- 

 municating, through your pages, a sketch of the mode as 

 known to myself. 



The plan which, in pursuance of M. Klotzsch's instructions, 



I have adopted, is as follows : — 

 With a sharp knife I divide 

 the fungus through the pileus 

 and stipes into two parts, one 

 rather larger than the other. 

 From the inside of the larger 

 portion I take, in the same 

 manner, a thin slice [Jig. 28.), 

 which thus affords a complete 

 vertical section of the fungus, 

 showing the peculiarities in the 

 structure of the stipes, pileus, 

 and gills. The remaining por- 

 tions are then to be treated as 

 follows : — Carefully separate 

 the pileus {Jig, 29, a) from the 



