G6 



BECEEATIYE SCIENCE. 



SALTING AKD PICKLING. 



They may be preserved in a variety of 

 ways for tlie table, tlie most usual being 

 dried in tbe open air, strung on strings, or 

 preserved in oil, vinegar, or brine. Agaricus 

 procerus. Boletus edulis, and Tuber ciberium 

 may be even preferred raw ; wbUe others, as 

 the belvellas, having somewkat the consis- 

 tence of leather, are decidedly improved by 

 cooking. There can be little doubt we have 

 poisonous species, as Boletus luridus, Agaricus 

 muscarious, etc., care should, therefore, be 

 taken in collecting, and all brine, vinegar, 

 or oil in which they have been preserved 

 should be thrown away, as it is supposed 

 that the poison is extracted by the liquor in 

 which they have been preserved, while the 

 fungus, even in poisonous species, becomes a 

 wholesome food. 



PEESERVATION OF FUNGI IN LIQUIDS. 



The higher orders of fungi rarely appear 

 in the herbarium, from the erroneous impres- 

 sion that it is impossible to dry them. It is 

 quite true that many are of so delicate, 

 fragUe, and watery a nature, that it is quite 

 impossible to dry and press them ; for these 

 there is but one simple process, that of im- 

 mersing them in bottles of a solution pre- 

 pared for that pui-pose. There are many of 

 these solutions in use for botanical, zoolo- 

 gical, and anatomical purposes, but only one 

 or two, I find, can be even moderately de- 

 pended upon. Most spirits defy nearly all 

 efforts to prevent evaporation, and they 

 extract and destroy the colour of the plants, 

 by which they lose their transparency. On 

 the other hand, most solutions, from a com- 

 bination of chemical salts, become opaque, 

 and form a crystalline deposit round the 

 mouth of the jar, which, from contact with 

 the air, gradually feeds upon the covering of 

 the vessel ; nor are acids always to be de- 

 pended upon, extracting the colour and more 

 or less destroying the most delicate and deli- 



quescent species, especially if exposed to 

 agitation. Where expense is not studied, 

 one evil is, to a certain extent, remedied by 

 throwing away the solution in which they 

 have been preserved for about a month, and 

 which by that time has extracted the colour, 

 then replace it with fresh, and there is not 

 that danger of the liquid being discoloured. 

 A few will be found of such a solid and dry 

 nature as to require no drying, and must be 

 kept in a cabinet, or drawers, as they will 

 not flatten by pressure. We now come to a 

 large bulk of the higher orders, which, 

 although it is not absolutely necessary to 

 keep them in solution, it is looked upon as a 

 laborious and difficult task to dry and press 

 them, and when done, the sections, etc., 

 usually taken are but a humble apology for 

 the whole plant. For these I can recom- 

 mend the following methods as far superior 

 to those in general use : — 



DRYING FUNGI FOE THE HESBAEIUM. 



Procure a wire cage, such as ia used by 

 rat-catchers, about twenty-four inches long, 



WIEE CAGE. 



twelve wide, and twelve deep, with a 

 shelf of the same material in the centre, or 

 of smaller dimensions, according to the re- 

 quirements of the collector. Let the wire 

 be sufficiently close to keep out the ordinary 

 flies, but no smaller, as we require a free 

 ventilation; should the flies still get in, 

 cover with a net sufficiently fine to ex- 

 clude intruders. Arrange the fungi in rows 



