36 MUSHROOMS. 



to the margin underneath the cap. They con- 

 tain the spores. The group of mushrooms that 

 have gills are called Agaracini or Agarics. 

 The gills vary in color ; sometimes they change 

 color when niature. When they are close to- 

 gether they are called crowded, and when far 

 apart distant. There are often smaller gills 

 between the others, and sometimes they are 

 two-forked (bifurcate), and are connected by 

 veins. 



They are narrow or wide, swell out in the 

 middle (ventricose), are curved like a bow 

 (arcuate), and have a sudden wave or sinus in 

 the edge near the stem (sinuate). 



There are various modes of attachment to 

 the stem. Where the gills are not attached to 

 it they are called free ; slightly so, adnexed ; and 

 when wholly fastened they are adnate. They 

 may run down on the stem, and are then called 

 decurrent. 



THE SPORES. 



The color of the spores can be seen by cut- 

 ting off the cap, and laying it gills downward, 

 on a sheet of paper, two or three hours or more. 

 The impression will remain on the paper. It is 

 better to use blue paper, so that the white spores 



