COLLECTION AND PKESERVATION. 293 



prepared, especially if a few notes be made as to colour, etc. 

 The more important notes are as to the colour of the stem 

 and pileus, together with any peculiarities of the surface, e.g., 

 whether it be dry, viscid, downy, scaly, etc., and whether the 

 flesh of the pileus be thin or otherwise ; as to the stem, whether 

 hollow or solid ; as to the gills, whether they are attached to the 

 stem or free ; and especially what is their colour and that of the 

 spores. It is not in general expedient to preserve specimens in 

 spirits, except others are dried by pressure, or copious notes be 

 made ; except, indeed, in some fungi of a gelatinous nature, 

 which can scarcely be dried at all by pressure. 



" The large woody fungi, the puff-balls, and a great number 

 of those which grow on wood, etc., are best preserved, after 

 ascertaining that they are -dry and free from larvse, by simply 

 wrapping them in paper or placing them in chip-boxes, taking 

 care that they are so closely packed as not to rub. As in other 

 tribes of plants, it is very requisite to have specimens in different 

 stages of growth, and notes as to precise habitats are always 

 interesting. 



" The attention of the traveller can scarcely be directed to any 

 more interesting branch, or one more likely to produce novelty, 

 than the puff-ball tribe ; and he is particularly requested to col- 

 lect these in every stage of growth, especially in the earliest, 

 and, if possible, to preserve some of the younger specimens in 

 spirits. One or two species are produced on ant-hills, the know- 

 ledge of the early state of which is very desirable. 



" The fungi which grow on leaves in tr,opical climates are 

 scarcely less abundant than in our own country, though belonging 

 to a different type. Many of these must constantly come under 

 the eye of the collector of phoanogams, and would be most 

 acceptable to the mycologist. But the attention of the collector 

 should also be directed to the lichen-like fungi, which are so 

 abundant in some countries on fallen sticks. Hundreds of 

 species of the utmost interest would reward active research, and 

 they are amongst the easiest to dry ; indeed, in tropical coun- 

 tries, the greater proportion of the species are easy to preserve, 

 but they will not strike the eye which is not on the watch for 



