132 ON COLLECTING AND PRESERVING PLANTS. 



plan in any damp climate is to preserve them in fairly strong spirit, 

 or in formalin diluted with from five to ten parts of water. A note 

 of the colours should be made against the number in the collecting 

 list, or on the ticket ; and, if possible, in the case of an Agaric, the 

 colour of the spores should be observed. This is best done by cutting 

 off the pileus, and placing it for several hours, say overnight, on a 

 sheet of paper ; and the spores cast during that period will be found 

 to have deposited a map of the gills on the paper. The colour may 

 then be noted ; and if possible the spore-cast should be preserved 

 (numbered) by painting a thin film of gum on the reverse side of 

 the paper, w^hich should be thin. The pileus should be placed where 

 there is no draught while casting its spores. In the case of Phalloidese 

 young and mature specimens should be obtained when possible. 



Leaf Fungi are best preserved by pressing and drying, and the 

 name of the host-plant should be noted, or if unknown then a 

 specimen should be taken for identification. 



Mycetozoa should be dried, and carefully preserved from crushing 

 by fixing them in chip-boxes. 



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