FUNGUS HUNTING. 223 



{Agaricus ulmarius) flourishes high up on the rotting 

 branches of standing elms, and we do not remember 

 having collected it from a prostrate elm. 



When parks and pastures are explored no one 

 would dream of undertaking it at times when 

 continuous drought has turned the grass yellow, and 

 hardened the ground so that fungi cannot penetrate 

 above the surface. At all times care should be taken 

 to look under the shadow of all the trees, and 

 especially around the circle of drip from the outer 

 branches. As a rule the number of species of all 

 kinds found in open places is much less than of those 

 occurring in woods, but this is compensated by the 

 species being of a different kind. Low lying, damp 

 meadows are unproductive, the preference being given 

 to old parks and commons. It need scarcely to be 

 suggested that quiet and secluded places are to be 

 preferred, and not such as are infested by the British 

 public for picnics, where the ground is trodden down, 

 all toadstools kicked over and destroyed, with a 

 legacy of luncheon papers, meat tins, and empty 

 bottles to mark the track of the spoilers. 



In gathering fungi for domestic purposes some 

 prefer an open basket, whilst others, with a strong 

 regard for appearances, select in preference a tin 

 vasculum, such as is used for collecting plants for 

 botanical purposes. In either case it is quite un- 

 necessary to carry more than .is requisite: The stems 

 can always be cut off close to the gills, and discarded, 



