OF BEITISH FUNGI. 121 



acquaintance with such species as we have recommended 

 without fear ; but we would, nevertheless, lend no 

 encouragement to a promiscuous consignment of 

 unknown species to the charge of the cook for a hash 

 or puree. 



It has often been alleged, not only that the study of 

 fungi has but few attractions, and cannot compete suc- 

 cessfully in interest with that of ferns and algae, but 

 also that there are such insurmountable obstacles in the 

 way of preserving them, that, having once secured the 

 specimens, there is no chance of making them available 

 for a future occasion. It may be true that the delicate 

 and elegant forms and beautiful tints of many sea-weeds, 

 as well as the graceful outline of the fronds of ferns, 

 may make these members of the vegetable kingdom 

 more suitable for the lady's album, but it is not every 

 one who is privileged to dwell by the seashore through 

 the entire year, and the ferns of one locality may soon 

 be collected and consigned to their resting-places. 

 Fungi, on the contrary, abound everywhere, and the 

 collector can never declare the resources of his locality 

 exhausted. Beautiful objects are by no means rare, 

 and the pocket lens and microscope are sure of constant 

 employment. There is no difficulty whatever in pre- 

 serving the minute species upon the leaves, or other 

 matrices upon which they vegetate. These may be 

 dried and fastened down upon small squares of white 

 paper, named, and arranged with as great facility as 

 either of the more popular classes of plants to which we 

 have adverted. Occasionally a group will be met with, 



