CHAPTER XII.
COLLECTION AND PEB SEEV A TIO N OE EU NG I.
T h e apparatus necessary for the collection of Fungi is neither
large nor expensive. A large, oblong, shallow basket, without
a lid, but with the bottom hollowed out a little at either end,
a few tin boxes of various sizes, a stout, well-tempered knife,
which will readily cut a good slice off a prostrate log, and a
common magnifier, are all that is necessary. I f Truffies are
the object of search, a little rake in a leather case, which will
screw into a handle, must also he provided. The basket
should he shallow, that the specimens may not crush each
other. Small and delicate species may he loosely wrapped in
paper and secured in the smaller boxes, while in some which
are very delicate, where it is necessary to avoid contact with
the sides of the box, it is a good plan, if the Fungus grows
on wood, to make the slice of wood very thin at one end, so
that when the specimen is placed in the box, it may be secured
by letting a portion of the thin end be grasped by the lid.
The most delicate species may he safely conveyed in this manner,
if a little tact is used.
Whoever wishes to arrive at an accurate knowledge of the
natural productions of a country, will find that it is necessary
to preserve specimens, that he may be able from time to time
to compare one with another. One great drawback which
attends on the study of Fungi is the difficulty of preserving
most of the larger and more important species in a state fit
for examination. The difficulty is, however, not insurmountable,
and with a little practice useful specimens may readily
he prepared.
The harder species, such as the Polypori, etc., according to
their size, may be dried between bibulous paper after the
fashion of other plants, care being taken that the papers are
changed with sufficient frequency. The larger species, which
do not admit of this treatment except in the form of sections,
may he simply placed in a warm, dry place, and when the
moisture is well evaporated, the larvse of any insects which
may remain in them may he destroyed by a few minutes’
submission to the heat of an oven, taking care, however, that
if is not so hot as to scorch the specimens.
As regards the fleshy Fungi, it is better generally to adopt
two plans ;—first, to dry a few specimens between sheets of paper,
made principally of cloth, after a little of their moisture
has been evaporated by contact with the air. This, however,
requires some care, to prevent decay from superabundant
moisture. The other is to form careful sections of the different
parts, so as to exhibit the several characters, removing from
the pileus and stem the greater part of the substance. I f too
many species are not put together in the drying-papers, excellent
specimens may he made in this way. The spores may
be collected on white or black paper by merely placing a portion
of the pileus with its hymenium upon it, and covering
the whole for a few hours with a bell-glass.
The specimens, when dry, must be washed carefully with a
solution of corrosive sublimate in pyroligneous naphtha, or
some other solvent, taking care that it is such as will not
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