day. As
far as possible good specimens should be selected for the photograph,
representing different stages of development, and one to show the
fruiting surface. Sometimes it will be necessary to make more than one
photograph to obtain all the stages. Also on different days one is apt
to obtain a specimen representing an important stage in development not
represented before. The plants should be arranged close together to
economize space, but not usually touching nor too crowded. They should
be placed in their natural position as far as possible, and means for
support, if used, should be hidden behind the plant. They should be so
arranged as to show individual as well as specific character and should
be photographed if possible natural size, or at least not on a plate
smaller than 5 x 7 inches unless the plants are small; while larger ones
are better on 6 x 8 or larger. Some very small ones it may be necessary
to enlarge in order to show the character of the fruiting surface, and
even large specimens can sometimes have a portion of the hymenium
enlarged to good advantage if it is desirable to show the characters
clearly. The background should be selected to bring out the characters
strongly, and in the exposure and developing it is often necessary to
disregard the effect of the background in order to bring out the detail
of texture on the plant itself. The background should be renewed as
often as necessary to have it uniform and neat. There is much more that
might be said under this head, but there is not space here.

=To Obtain Spore Prints.=--In many cases it is desirable to obtain
spores in a mass on paper in order to know the exact tint of color
produced by the species. Often the color of the spores can be
satisfactorily determined by an examination of them under the
microscope. One cannot always depend on the color of the lamellae since a
number of the species possess colored cystidia or spines in the hymenium
which disguise the color of the spores. The best way to determine the
color of the spores in mass is to catch them as they fall from the
fruiting surface on paper. For the ordinary purpose of study and
reference in the herbarium the spores caught on unprepared paper, which
later may be placed in the packet with the specimen, will answer. This
method has the advantage of saving time, and also the danger of injury
to the spores from some of the fixatives on prepared paper is avoided.
If for purposes of illustra