ORGANIZATION OF BOTANICAL MUSEUMS. 197 



groups of three or four by the aid of glass threads, or can be fixed 

 on sheet mica in the manner that will shortly be explained. 



The Fungi give excellent opportunities for the display of 

 selective skill. Take, for example, the Stinkhorn (Phallus im- 

 pudicus), or the False Puffball (Fig. 3). To show merely the 

 spore-bearing portion and a small bit of mycelium gives a poor 

 idea of the plant, compared 

 with that got by bringing a 

 large sod into the laboratory, 

 washing the soil from the 

 copiously-branched mycelium 

 and laying bare the young 

 hypogeal spore receptacles in 

 all stages of development. 

 But few objects are more 

 telling than a good piece of 

 decaying bark covered with 

 the reticulate, golden-yellow 

 plasmodium of " Flowers of 

 Tan" (Aethalium septicum)\ 

 for whether we view the or- 

 ganism as plant or animal, it 

 carries an impression at all 

 times to the student that 

 nothing else can so well do. 

 In alcohol it retains much of 

 its richness of coloring. 



(c) Preparation of objects. 

 By this we mean the set- 

 ting out of certain selected 

 specimens in a manner that 

 will best display the points 

 that should be emphasized. 

 Of many such it may be said 

 that, previous to being placed 



in alcohol, trimming and dissection of parts is absolutely 

 necessary. Take, for illustration, the fine example of Corpse 

 plant (Fig. 2) already referred to. By aid of scissors several 



