MUSHROOMS 



33 



Other Mushrooms. — Other kinds of mushrooms are shaped 



like shelves, and grow on trees and stumps. These kinds are 



often as hard as wood. 



Other kinds, that grow 



on trees, are branching 



masses of yellow and red 



that at a distance look 



almost like flames. 



You may sometimes 



find a small mushroom 



that is like a cone stand- 

 ing with its large end up, 



and holding some grains 



about the size of pin- 

 heads. This is called a 



bird's-nest mushroom, be- 

 cause it looks like a nest 



with eggs. 



Some common kinds of 



ground mushrooms look 



like balls, and are called 



puffballs. When ripe 



their inner parts become 



a brown or purple dust, 



that flies out like dust when vou crush the balls. This dust is 



made up of very small balls called spores. 

 Each spore can grow and produce new puff- 

 balls. 



One kind of mushroom looks like a small 

 puffball set in a star. It is found in bare, 

 sandy fields and woods, and is called an earth- 

 star. If you find one, wet it and let it dry 

 again, and see what the rays of the star do. 

 Earthstar Spores of Umbrella Mushrooms. —Cut off 



the top from a full-grown mushroom, and place it right side up 



OV'ER. NAT. STUD. 3 



Shelf Mushrooms 



