121 



Stem. — The important points in connection with the stem are 

 the color, shape, character of the surface, and the texture of the 

 flesh, that is, is the stem pithy at first, then hollow, or is it firm 

 even in old age ? 



Habitat. — The character of the habitat is of special conse- 

 quence ; whether pasture, woods, open groves, or swamp ; the 

 kind of trees predominating in the immediate vicinity, and the 

 species under which the fungi were growing ; the kind of soil and 

 the moisture content ; the locality and the elevation. Also, is 

 the species solitary or gregarious in habit, and what size do the 

 mushrooms attain ? 



Collecting and Preserving. — Of course it is of primary 

 importance that the different specimens or "numbers" gathered 

 should be kept distinct. This is easily accomplished by carry- 

 ing in the collecting basket a supply of various sized paper 

 sacks, and a species may then be placed in a bag with the ac- 

 companying field-notes. Like care must be used during the proc- 

 ess of drying the mushrooms ; for the mushrooms must be 

 dried and preserv^ed, since the descriptions are as useless without 

 the dried specimens as are the latter without field-notes. The 

 Lactariae may be dried successfully by spreading them on a wire 

 screen which may be put under the kitchen stove or suspended 

 about three feet above it. Oven heat is liable to be too great for 

 the best results. When possible, three or four typical specimens 

 of a species should be preserved, representing both young and 

 mature condition. When dry, the mushrooms, together with the 

 field-notes, may be transferred to paper sacks again, or to suit- 

 able boxes, and filed away for future study and identification. If 

 some time is to elapse before this study is to be undertaken, 

 something like naphthaline flake ought to be put in the boxes to 

 protect the mushrooms from the attacks of the larvae of moths 

 and carpet beetles. 



The following outline contains the essential points for field - 

 notes and at the same time a minimum amount of information 

 necessary for the determination of species. Of course, it is evi- 

 dent that drawings or water-color sketches will be a valuable 

 addition to the notes. The appended bibliography will form a 

 working basis for the identification of the Lactariae. 



