OF THE FUNGI. 129 



part of the disc (as in the Polypori), or whether they cover 

 the top and sides of a club-shaped receptacle (as in Clavaria. 

 &c). The spores themselves should also be secured as 

 useful aids. This may be done by laying the fructifying 

 organs on a piece of white paper, and leaving it undisturbed 

 for about twenty-four hours. On lifting it at the end of 

 that time the paper will be seen to be sprinkled with a 

 brown (occasionally white) dust, which is in fact a multi- 

 tude of ripe spores : these may be wrapped in paper, or 

 shaken into a corked tube for future examination. 



I strongly advise the young mycologist to make drawings 

 of the Fungi, or at least of the principal forms, which come 

 under his notice. Even if he is not a practised draughts- 

 man, he can by perseverance soon acquire skill enough t( 

 copy their outline, and lay on the proper colouring : how- 

 ever roughly done, he will probably find his sketch of 

 considerable use in the comparison of individuals and the 

 determination of species. The systematic examination of 

 these plants cannot be carried on without the aid of the 

 microscope, on account of the extreme minuteness of their 

 organs. In some instances an ordinary needle attached to 

 a wooden handle is sufficient to expose their inner structure: 

 generally speaking, however, the cellular tissue and organs 

 of fructification cannot be properly seen unless a delicate 

 section is made with a razor. With such as rest upon a 

 stout, firm base, like the branch of a tree, there is no diffi - 

 culty ; a little practice will enable the student to make a 

 clean cut from end to end. The same may be said with 

 respect to the Agarics and other soft, fleshy kinds : in these 

 a section may be easily made through the pileus, so as to 

 include the hymenium. On the other hand, species which 

 are parasitic on the leaves of Phanerogamia must be 

 treated in a different way. The leaf itself, not giving 

 sufficient support to the cutting instrument, must be laid 

 between two pieces of cork — a common wine cork divided 

 longitudinally answers perfectly well; then, by cutting 



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