124 ON COLLECTING AND PRESERVING PLANTS. 
plan in any damp climate is to preserve them in fairly strong spirit, 
or in formalin diluted with from five to ten parts of water. A note 
of the colours should be made against the number in the collecting 
list, or on the ticket ; and, if possible, in the case of an Agaric, the 
colour of the spores should be observed. This is best done by cutting 
off the pileus, and placing it for several hours, say overnight, on a 
sheet of paper; and the spores cast during that period will be found 
to have deposited a map of the gills on the paper. The colour may 
then be noted; and if possible the spore-cast should be preserved 
(numbered) by painting a thin film of gum on the reverse side of 
the paper, which should be thin. The pileus should be placed where 
there is no draught while casting its spores. In the case of Phalloidese 
young and mature specimens should be obtained when possible. 
Leaf Fungi are best preserved by pressing and drying, and the 
name of the host-plant should be noted, or if unknown then a 
specimen should be taken for identification. 
Mycetozoa should be dried, and carefully preserved from crushing 
by fixing them in chip-boxes. 
