14 INTRODUCTION. 



Preservation. — The preservation of fungi for future refer- 

 ence is a great obstacle to their study. The greatest difi&culty 

 rests with the large and fleshy species, such as the Boleti, 

 Agaricini. It is not only the drying which must be done 

 quickly and thoroughly, but part of your specimen will be in 

 constant danger of being devoured by vermin. As soon as 

 dry they require to be poisoned by some toxic fluid. Professor 

 Peck, State botanist, uses the bichloride of mercury and 

 alcohol. I would refer you to Peck's Report 24, page 43, 

 where the preparation is given. The latest and perhaps the 

 best article on the subject is that of Edwin A. Burt, of Middle- 

 t)ury College, Vermont, or the Botanical Gazette, Vol. XXV. 



The bichloride mixture must be used freely before storing 

 awa}" for future reference. 



C. G. Lloyd, of Cincinnati, Ohio, has great faith in pre- 

 serving them in alcohol. He has the largest collection in his 

 mycological museum of any in America. 



The German collection is generally in the form of sections 

 of the different parts, and put under pressure the same as 

 flowering plants. 



I have used tincture of quassia chips on some of the fleshy 

 agaric, and found it equally as potent to the ravages of vermin. 

 How I came to use quassia is that veterinary surgeons used it 

 on cattle to destroy lice or other vermin. Thought I would 

 try it on mushrooms, since if it would destroy vermin on cattle 

 it might be equally effective on mushrooms. 



The woody polyporeii are easily kept in boxes, first heated 

 to 140 degrees, to destroy insects and eggs. 



The leaf parasites are easily prepared, that is, the puccinia 

 pressed and dried with the host, like the flowering plant 

 herbarium. 



Moulds are best preserved on microscopic slides, dry or with 

 some medium. 



