160 



With a delicate scymetar-shaped knife, or scalpel, such as 

 is found in a surgeon's instrument-case, I make a double 

 vertical section, through the middle, from the top of the pileus 

 to the base of the stipes, so as to remove a slice, [t. 83, f. 

 a. a.) This, it will be at once seen, shows the vertical out- 

 line of the whole Fungus, the internal nature of its stipes, 

 whether hollow, or spongy, or solid, the thickness of the 

 pileus, and the peculiarities of the gills, whether equal or un- 

 equal in length, decurrent upon the stipes, or otherwise, &c. 

 There will then remain the two sides or (nearly) halves of the 

 Fungus, [t. 83, f. b. b. b.) which each in itself gives a correct 

 idea, if I may so express myself, of the whole circumference 

 of the plant. But before we proceed to dry them, it is neces- 

 sary to separate the stipes from the pileus, and, from the 

 latter, to scrape out the fleshy lamellcB or gills, if an Agaric ; 

 or the tubes of the Boletus. We have thus the Fungus 

 divided into 5 portions; a central thin slice, 2 (nearly) halves 

 of the stipes, and the same sections of the pileus : — these, 

 after being a little exposed to the air, that they may part 

 with some of their moisture, but not so long that they shrivel, 

 are to be placed between dry blotting paper, and subjected 

 to pressure as other plants ; the papers being changed daily 

 till the specimens are perfectly dry. When this is the case, 

 the central portion, or slice, and the two halves of the stipes, 

 are to be fastened upon white paper, together with the 

 respective halves of the pileus upon the top of the latter, in 

 their original position. Here will thus be three sections; 

 from which a correct idea of the whole plant may be ob- 

 tained. The volva and annulus, of such species as possess 

 them, must be retained. 



With care, even the most fugacious species, such as Agari- 

 cus jimetarius, ovatus, &c. may be very well preserved, ac- 

 cording to this method. 



Some of the smaller and less fleshy kinds will not require 

 to have the lamellce removed, such as Agaricus Jilipes, supinus, 

 galericulatus, &c. 



In collecting fleshy Fungi, care must be taken that they 

 are not too old and absolutely in a state of decomposition, or 



