278 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



in various stages of growth, and the ripened 

 spores, it is desirable to have sections both 

 of the young and mature plant, carefully 

 cut out of the centre, and dried and pre- 

 pared in the same way as already described. 

 To cut a section will require considerable 

 care, and we can only say to those who 

 don't succeed at first, " Try, try, try again." 



Various other matters require to be con- 

 sidered, and much additional knowledge is 

 required ; but our limits will not permit us 

 to give or extract much more, and we must 

 try very briefly to say what more we deem 

 essential for a beginner, referring all others 

 to the article already named in Science 

 Gossip. 



Some of your Fungi are sure to be infested 

 with larvae when you gather them. These 

 may generally be got rid of in softer speci- 

 mens by a few drops of oil of turpentine ; 

 harder or more woody species Mr. Smith 

 recommends to be placed in an oven, where 

 the heat is not great enough to destroy the 

 specimen, but still enough to drive them 

 out of their holes. 



Specimens may be mounted and labelled 

 much as is done with ordinary botanical 

 specimens. At least two examples should 

 be on each sheet, one to show the underside, 

 so as to display the gills or tubes ; another 

 to show the upperside, the pileus and its 

 characteristics. Young specimens should 

 be mounted in the same way on the same 

 sheet, and also the sections, and each 

 should have most copious labels and notes 

 attached. The spores can be secured in a 

 small envelope also gummed to the sheet. 

 Mr. Smith prefers all his specimens free, 

 and places each in a separate envelope 

 which is gummed to the sheet. Perhaps 

 this is the best way for their preservation. 

 It will be found that mites attack even the 

 most poisonous kinds, and it will be well to 

 wash them with a solution of corrosive 

 sublimate. We have used this dissolved in 

 gpirits of wine. Mr, Smith regommends 



oil of turpentine, and he knows better than 

 we do ; pyroligneous naptha has also been 

 recommended. 



In conclusion, we would say in the words 

 of the gentleman, to whom this paper is so 

 much indebted, " It is better to laboriously 

 make out twenty species and know them in 

 all their aspects for certain, than to amass 

 imperfect materials of two thousand without 

 any sound botanical knowledge. If the 

 former course is pursued, the study of 

 Fungi will prove a never-failing source of 

 pleasure to the mind and of health to the 

 body." 



POSTAL CLUBS. 



We have received several letters upon 

 this subject, all in favour of our proposal. 

 We have not space at our disposal to print 

 all of them, but the following may be taken 

 as a sample : — 



" 143, Smithdown Lane, 

 " Liverpool, 



" Dear Sir, 



" I have read with great interest your 

 " article on Postal Clubs, and think that 

 " it is one of the happiest thoughts that 

 " could be put forward. If the matter was 

 "well arranged (which it could be) every- 

 " thing ought to go smoothly, and it would 

 "be a mutual advantage to all the 

 "members. I especially like the idea 

 " for naming the insects and exhibiting 

 " rarities. 



" If one is got up for Lepidopterists, I 

 "should be very glad to join, and will 

 " willingly help in the expense of starting 

 "it. Should it be begun I have no doubt 

 " I shall hear from you. 



" Yours truly, 



J. N. Pierce." 



One would like a club for Lepidoptera, 

 another for Coleoptera, a third for all the 

 " neglected orders.'' We do not propose to 



