MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 679 



the nature and size of the plant, its native name, the 

 date, locality, soil, geological formation, elevation 

 above the level of sea, its ascertained properties 

 and uses, also the colour of the recent flowers, if 

 odorous, &c. 



5. Rules for particular plants. — Specimens col- 

 lected in moist situations, or in damp weather, and 

 water-plants should be freed from external moisture 

 before being laid out. Succulent plants require 

 long continued pressure. Sometimes they are scari- 

 fied to facilitate the escape of the juices, at others 

 they are plunged for a moment into hot water be- 

 fore being pressed. Orchidacece should be laid out 

 in warm paper and dried rapidly. Many Heaths 

 and Pines, and other plants with fine rigid leaves 

 require to be killed by being plunged for an instant 

 into boiling water. Mosses should be selected in 

 fructification ; they may be gathered in tufts, which, 

 if dried by gentle pressure, can afterwards be sepa- 

 rated, moistened, and again dried. Fleshy Fungi 

 are best kept in spirits ; some of the smaller species 

 may be occasionally dried entire, by having holes 

 pierced in them by fine pins, and then being exposed 

 to a warm dry atmosphere ; others, as many Agarici 

 are prepared by taking a thin slice " from the centre, 

 extending from the top of the pileus to the base of 

 the stipe/' which portion is dried separately ; " the 

 inner cellular portion of the pileus and stipe is then 

 removed, and these parts are dried so as to give the 

 form/' Such Lichens as admit of pressure may be 

 treated like mosses ; when closely encrusting rocks, 



