40 BRITISH FUNGI 



removed or obliterated. Do not collect more specimens than yon 

 can study in detail when you reach home. The mania for grasping 

 at every fungus met with, and piling one on the top of another, 

 only ends in disappointment, and perhaps disgust, as on unloading 

 the collection, most of the specimens will be found to be crushed, 

 broken, and generally useless. A vasculum, which serves well for 

 the purpose of containing flowering plants, is useless for carrying 

 fungi. The larger toadstools are best carried in an open basket, 

 and should be kept separated from each other by a few springy 

 fern fronds or similar material. Hard, woody fungi, such as species 

 of Polyporus or bracket-fungi, should be placed at the bottom of 

 the basket, and the delicate, gill-bearing species on the top, other- 

 wise crushing will result. The smaller, delicate kinds of agarics 

 should be placed separately in small boxes, and prevented from 

 shaking about by moss, grass, etc. The tin boxes of various sizes, 

 that originally contained tobacco, butter-scotch, cough-drops, etc., 

 are admirable for the purpose, and should be commandeered when- 

 ever opportunity offers. Some of the boxes should be lined with 

 cork, to which delicate specimens of moulds, myxogastres growing 

 on bark, leaves, etc., can be firmly fixed by means of pins, as the 

 slightest rubbing or contact with any substance ruins such specimens. 

 For the removal of fungi growing on wood a stout knife is necessary ; 

 a pruning knife with a curved blade is excellent for the purpose. 



In some instances I have found that nothing short of an axe 

 is sufficient to remove some of the large, woody bracket-fungi 

 from their support. The many mildews, cluster-cups, and other 

 minute fungi that grow on living leaves, should be placed between 

 the leaves of an old book to keep them fiat, without applying 

 much pressure, changing from time to time until the lea\'es are 

 quite dry. The greatest difficulty is experienced in preserving the 

 many small species of fungi that grow on naked earth. If the soil 

 is moist and somewhat tenacious, a thin slice may be cut away and 

 wrapped in paper. On arrival at home the soil should be soaked 

 in a strong solution of hot gelatine until it is saturated. On cooling 

 and drying, the gelatine will bind the soil into a compact mass 

 that will not crumble. Care must be taken not to submerge the 

 fungus on the surface of the soil in the gelatine. Finally, for pur- 

 poses of microscopic study, specimens or portions of specimens 

 should be preserved in spirit. Corked glass tubes are very con- 

 venient for this purpose. The specimens should be free from sand 

 and dirt of every description. Good methylated spirit should be 

 used. 



The fleshy gill-bearing agarics are undoubtedly the most difficult 

 to preserve in a dried condition for future reference, yet with a 

 combination of perseverance and patience it can be done. As a 

 preliminary to the preservation of a specimen, it is all essential 

 that careful notes should be made of the most prominent features 



