OS? THE FUNGT. 
129 
part of the disc (as in the Polypori), or whether they cover 
the top and sides of a club-shaped receptacle (as in Clavaria, 
&c,). The spores themselves should also be secured as 
useful aids. This may be done by laying the fructifying 
organs on a piece of white paper, and leaving it undisturbed 
for about twenty-four hours. On lifting it at the end of 
that time the paper will be seen to be sprinkled with a 
brown (occasionally white) dust, which is in fact a multi- 
tude of ripe spores : these may be wrapped in paper, or 
shaken into a corked tube for future examination. 
I strongly advise the young mycologist to make drawings 
of the Fungi, or at least of the principal forms, which come 
under his notice. Even if he is not a practised draughts- 
man, he can by perseverance soon acquire skill enough ta 
copy their outline, and lay on the proper colouring : how- 
ever roughly done, he will probably find his sketch of 
considerable use in the comparison of individuals and the 
determination of species. The systematic examination of 
these plants cannot be carried on without the aid of the 
microscope, on account of the extreme minuteness of their 
organs. In some instances an ordinary needle attached to 
a wooden handle is sufficient to expose their inner structure: 
generally speaking, however, the cellular tissue and organs 
of fructification cannot be properly seen unless a delicate 
section is made with a razor. With such as rest upon a 
stout, firm base, like the branch of a tree, there is no diffi- 
culty ; a little practice will enable the student to make a 
clean cut from end to end. The same may be said with 
respect to the Agarics and other soft, fleshy kinds : in these 
a section may be easily made through the pileus, so as to 
include the hymenium. On the other hand, species which 
are parasitic on the leaves of Phanerogamia must be 
treated in a different way. The leaf itself, not giving 
sufficient support to the cutting instrument, must be laid 
between two pieces of cork — a common wine cork divided 
longitudinally answers perfectly well; then, by cutting 
K 
