98 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



has experienced these pleasures can readily understand why 

 the naturalist does not need the company of his fellow man 

 for long periods at a time to make his happiness. 



A city bred person often does not contemplate with pleas- 

 ure the prospect of a forced sojourn in the country. He 

 does not know how to amuse himself. He does not have the 

 advantage with the naturalist of meeting on every hand, so 

 many of his friends. We can not all hope to become natural- 

 ists but the more of the out-of-door friends we claim as our 

 own the greater pleasure is ours each time we go afield. 



Probably many who are in the habit of taking strolls in 

 the woods and meadows, and who derive much pleasure there 

 in meeting known friends, have seen the plants of various 

 form and color commonly called "toadstools." With this 

 practical designation, the whole class has been passed by. I 

 would that more know how easy it is to make these humble 

 members our cherished friends though lowly they may be 

 in the scale of plant life. 



Exclusive of puffl^alls, the most common fungi met with in 

 field and wood may be readily placed by the ordinary obsen^er 

 into one of four classes. By examining the underside of the 

 fungus when found, it will be seen to possess either pores, 

 very small, yet easily seen with the unaided eye, or gills, or 

 spines or a smooth surface. Probably the greater part found 

 will be of the first class. The fungus having pores may be 

 shelving out from the side of a log or stump (fig. 1.) or it 

 may have a central stem like the common mushroom (fig. 4) 

 or again it may have a lateral stem as is in figure 7. The pore 

 fungi constitutes a very large order, which order contains 

 some of the fungi most commonly met. But for the beginner 

 it should suffice simply to know the pore bearing from the 

 others. 



The fungi having gills to be the most commonly observed 

 are the central stemmed ones (fig. 5) and one other variety of 



