THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



Ill 



little bircls'-nest fungi which we find on twigs and 

 branches, with their tiny eggs inside, also the puff-balls 

 and the Geasters or earth-stars familiar to nearly every 

 one, and the Phalloids or stink-horn fungi, which are often 

 beautiful to look at on account of their coloring and the 

 stems covered with lace work, yet are disgusting by rea- 

 son of their terribly offensive odor. 



The last group is the Ascomycetes or sporesac fungi. 

 This contains the morels with their honeycombed caps 

 that are coUvsidered great delicacies for the table ; then the 

 Hevellas or yellowish mushrooms, easily known by the 

 shape of the caps which are lobed and irregularly waved, 

 and lastly the Pezizas or cup fungi, which vary from the 

 minutest species of only a line in width to the fleshy ones 

 of 3 to 4 inches in diameter. These sometimes resemble 

 delicate shaped goblets with slender stems or again they 

 look like cups made of india rubber cloth, and some are of 

 brilliant colors, both red and orange. 



These numerous families of which the mere names are 

 so bewildering to a beginner in the study, but which re- 

 vive such pleasant recollections in the mind of one familiar 

 with them, may be met with constantly in one's walks, 

 and specimens of all these groups may be found in our 

 baskets after a collecting tour of one summer morning. 

 There will be sufiicient to furnish employment for many 

 hours in examination of our treasures. The next step 

 after returning from our stroll will be to arrange them in 

 classes and genera and find out their names and character. 



Value of Essential Oils to Plants.— At a recent 

 meeting of the Linnean Society, the question of the use of 

 essential oils in the economy of plant life was brought up. 

 These essential oils are usually regarded as mere waste 

 products, but it has been conjectured that they may pos- 

 sibly aid in protecting plants from night frosts. It is well 

 known that moisture in the air prevents radiation and 

 consequent loss of heat and it has been found that the ad- 

 dition of essential oils increase the absorbing power of the 

 air for heat rays. 



