INTRODUCTION. 17 



another, close by, and then a shining white cap; 

 further on a mouse-colored one, gray, and silky 

 in texture. What a contrast of colors. What 

 are they ? By what names shall we call them ? 

 Let us first carefully dig up the yellow one. 

 We have brought a basket and trowel, and can 

 examine them thoroughly. We mxist dig down 

 deep so as not to break off the stem. There is 

 a ring or collar around it near the top. There is 

 a bulb at the base, with some slight membrane 

 attached. The cap is orange color, almost 

 smooth, covered with a few spots like warts, and 

 there are some lines on the margin. The gills 

 are not attached to the stem, and are white with 

 a creamy hue. The stem is also white, tinged 

 faintly with yellow. We will take a penknife 

 and divide it into halves, cutting straight 

 through the stem and cap. We find the stem 

 is filled with a spongy substance, and we can 

 now see more clearly the position of the gills. 

 Our specimen measures 2 inches across the cap, 

 and the stem is 2 or 3 inches long. It is an 

 Amanita, resembling the Fly Amanita, which 

 we will probably soon discover. Our fungus 

 is Frost's Amanita, named after the botanist 

 who first placed it on the list, Frost. It is not 

 among the British fungi. It is American. 



2 



