PREAMBLE. 15 



Blewits, not by accident, but persistei^tly. 

 Herein, then, we have one valuable guide 

 in the discrimination of species. Further- 

 more, the base of the stem, in a few 

 instances, is enclosed in a sheath, or volva, 

 which may be comparatively loose, and 

 distinct, as in the Buff Warty Caps, or it 

 may be closely adherent, showing only a 

 circular line or ring, as in the Euddy Warty 

 Caps and the Fly Agaric. This, again, is 

 peculiar only to certain species, and should 

 be borne in mind. Appertaining to the 

 stem, it may be observed that it is often 

 desirable, when the name of a species 

 has to be determined, to cut the stem 

 longitudinally down the middle, and by 

 this means it will be found that in some 

 species the stem is hollow in the centre, 

 whilst in others the stem is solid. All 

 these are points which should be borne in 

 mind by those who have no desire to 

 poison themselves. 



One other point is of equal importance 

 to, if not greater than any which we have 



