32 MUSHROOMS. 



In the second group, Ascomycetes, or " Spore 

 sac fungi," the spores are produced in delicate 

 sacs called asci. The fruit-bearing part is 

 often cup-shaped, disc-like, or club-shaped, 

 thicker at the top or covered with irregular 

 swellings and depressions like the human brain. 



The Morels and Helvellas belong to this 

 group. One often meets with mushrooms of 

 the former genus in the spring, and they are 

 striking and interesting looking fungi. There 

 are many of both genera that are edible. They 

 will be described in detail later. 



Botanists have classified Agarics by means 

 of the color of the spores, and it is the only 

 sure way of determining to what class they 

 belong. We propose in this work also to enu- 

 merate the mushrooms according to the color 

 of the pileus or cap, and give a list, with a de- 

 scription of each, after this arrangement. This, 

 of course, is merely superficial, but may inter- 

 est and attract a beginner in the study of fungi. 

 This list will be placed at the end of the book. 



The descriptions will be preceded by a classi- 

 fication according to color of spores, some 

 hints to students, and aids to learning which 

 have been found useful to others. 



It is appalling to a beginner when he first 



