gin paler.

The gills are narrow, rather distant, pure white, alternate ones being
shorter. These are very small plants, found only in damp places on dead
herbaceous plants. They resemble a Cyphella griseo-pallida in habit.

_Pleurotus abscondens. Pk._

[Illustration: Figure 126.--Pleurotus abscondens. Entire plant white.]

Abscondens means keeping out of view. It is so called because it
persists in growing in places where it is hidden from sight.

The pileus is often two and a half inches broad, delicate-white, strong
stringent odor, usually pruinose, margin slightly incurved.

The gills are attached to the stem, rather crowded, very white, somewhat
narrow.

The stem is short, solid, pruinose, usually lateral, and curved.

The plant usually grows in hollow stumps or logs, and in this case the
stem is always lateral and the plant grows very much as does the P.
ostreatus, except that they are not imbricated. Occasionally the plant
is found on the bottom of a hollow log and in that case the cap is
central and considerably depressed in the center. I have never seen it
growing except in a hollow stump or log. Its manner of growth and its
delicate shape of white will serve to identify it. It is found from
August to November.

_Pleurotus circinatus. Fr._

Circinatus means to make round, referring to the shape of the pileus.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, white, plane, orbicular, convex
at first, even, covered over with silky-pruinose lustre.

The gills are adnate-decurrent, rather crowded, quite broad, white.

The stem is equal, smooth, one to two inches long, stuffed, central or
slightly eccentric, rooted at the base.

The form of these plants is quite constant and the round white caps will
at first suggest a Collybia. The white gills and its decurrent form
will distinguish it from P. lignatilis. It makes quite a delicious dish
when well cooked. I found some beautiful specimens on a decayed beech
log in Poke Hollow. Found in September and October.

_Lactarius. Fr._

Lactarius means pertaining to milk. There is one feature of this genus
that should easily mark it, the presence of milky or colored juice which
exudes from a wound or a broken place on a fresh plant. This feature
alone is sufficient to distinguish the genus but there are other points
that serve to make the determination more certain.

The flesh, although it seems quite solid and firm, is very brittle. The
fracture is always ev