50 



understand how relatively slight climatic changes may alter 

 completely the character of a vegetation in a given region, and 

 thus to comprehend more readily the changes which must have 

 taken place in past ages. It also shows us the effect of present 

 changes, particularly in regard to the destruction by man of the 

 essential elements of natural plant communities, notably one of 

 the most important of these, the forests. Its use lies in these 

 directions and the danger of its misuse lies in the direction of 

 drawing too positive conclusions from data which are insufficient, 

 and of accepting the results obtained as necessarily final, a common 

 error it is true in any line of thought, but one to which the 

 ecologist has especial temptation. 



( To be continued. ) 



COLLECTING AND STUDYING BOLETI 



By William A. Murrill 



The Boleti are fleshy, tube-bearing fungi, the tubes separating 

 quite easily from the flesh of the pileus and from each other. 

 They usually occur on the ground in woods, not more than five 

 of our species being found on decaying wood, and one being 

 parasitic on a puff-ball. 



The group always attracts attention on account of the brilliant 

 colors and ephemeral character of its species, and is of special 

 interest because of the large number of edible fungi found in it. 

 One section, with red tube-mouths is considered distinctly dan- 

 gerous, and some species are too bitter to eat ; but with caution 

 one might perhaps use for food over ninety per cent, of the Boleti 

 he finds. 



Boleti may be collected at any time from June to October, 

 especially if there are frequent rains. In this latitude, July and 

 August usually furnish the largest number of species. To make 

 good specimens of Boleti for scientific purposes is probably the 

 most difficult task that presents itself to the field mycologist, and 

 one that he often shirks ; which accounts for the scarcity of good 

 specimens of these plants in most herbaria. With some care 



