NOTES AND QUERIES ON RUSSULE. 
37 
three — in which the cuticle of the pileus is continued for some dis- 
tance from the margin along the edge of the gills in a coloured 
line. This may often be seen in Russula lepida , especially when 
the cuticle remains red or pink. This fact is alluded to by Fries 
(“ Mon.,” p. 191), where he says: — “ Acie vero, praecipue mar- 
ginem versus, saepe rubrae ob marginem pilei cum lamellis conti- 
guum, ut etiam in sequente ” — that is in Russula rubra. Not 
only in these two species, but also in another, which we have called 
R. granulosa, an ochraceous species, the darker line is continuous 
from the margin of the pileus along the edge of the gills, for a con- 
siderable distance, like a coloured edge. As a sort of collateral 
evidence this fact may sometimes be useful in determination. 
The final reference we have to make to the cuticle is to remind 
you that the tomentose cuticle is a rarity almost unknown in Russula. 
We have the viscid and comparatively dry cuticle, opaque or shining, 
bright or dull, but not the really tomentose pileus. There is a 
near approach to it in R. punctata , Gillet, at times, but a kind of 
pulverulence is the closest approach we commonly obtain to a 
tomentose cuticle. Russula amcena , Quelet, is affirmed to have a 
pulverulent pileus ; and so pulverulent is that of R. marice , Peck, 
a North American species, that the red powder comes off on paper, 
or may be washed into water, to which latter it gives a pink tinge. 
On the other hand we have a variation from the absolutely smooth 
pileus, in those species in which the cuticle breaks up into small 
areolae, or even into minute adherent granules. The best examples 
are those of R. virescens, R. cutefracta, R. xerampelina , R. punctata, 
and R. granulosa. It may be added that we regard this character 
as a very strong and useful one, and, for aught we know or believe, 
constant. 
This brings our “ Notes and Queries ” almost to a close. Any 
comparison of species, or critical observations on the limits of 
species, or the direction of their variability, must be postponed to 
some period when figures of all the British species can be turned 
to in illustration. As this time is, we hope, not many months 
distant, the subject may soon be resumed. It will be well worthy 
of the labour if we can succeed in rendering the Rus sulce more 
intelligible, and this we shall still endeavour to accomplish. The 
number of available characters is greatly reduced in this genus, 
and we are compelled to fall back on minute distinctions which are 
little regarded in other groups, but by making good use of our eyes, 
it may be possible to initiate an improvement. 
Our final note must relate to the general classification of the 
genus. Admitting something like 100 species into the fraternity, 
it is evident that an order of grouping must be adopted for facility 
of reference and determination. Fries attempted this by the recog- 
nition of five tribes, and no one has yet ventured to supersede 
them. Take them for all in all, we do not think, with our present 
knowledge, that any better can be offered ; at any rate, no better 
arrangement has been proposed. The Compacts is the first, and 
