apes and sizes. They are
sometimes round, and at other times irregular. The color of the mouths
is often different from the tubes, and changes when mature. The mouths,
too, are sometimes stuffed when young. The attachment to the pileus is
to be noted. They may be free or easily detached, depressed around the
stem or fastened to it (adnate.)

CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI.

The color of both gills and tubes is an important feature in the
classification of fungi.

We have now arrived at a point where the amateur may become wearied at
the reading of long names and the enumeration of classes and genera.
Stevenson has said in his preface to his work on British Fungi that
"there is no royal road to the knowledge of fungi," and if we become
enough interested to pursue the subject we will probably discover it at
this point. We will try and make this part as simple as possible, and
only mention those genera which are most common.

Mushrooms may be divided into three great classes:

I. Gasteromycetes, or "Stomach fungi," where the spores are produced
within the plant.

II. Ascomycetes, or "Spore sac fungi," where the spores are produced in
delicate sacs called asci.

III. Hymenomycetes, or "Membrane fungi," where the spores are produced
on the lower surface of the cap.

CLASS III. HYMENOMYCETES, OR MEMBRANE FUNGI.

This class is divided into six orders:

1. Gill-bearing mushrooms, Agarics, or Agaricini.

2. Fungi with pores or tubes, Polyporei.

3. Fungi with awl-shaped teeth or spines, Hydnei.

4. Fungi with an even spore-bearing or slightly wrinkled surface,
Thelephorei.

5. Plants, club-shaped and simple, or bush-like and branched, Clavariei.

6. Gelatinous plants, irregularly expanded, Tremellinei.

The first order, the Agarics, contains most of the well-known mushrooms,
as well as most of the edible ones. They have been divided into
different classes according to the color of the spores. In a great many
cases the color is the same as that of the gills; but this is not always
the case, especially in the young plants. The Agarics are divided into
four sections:

1. White spores, Leucosporae.

2. Rosy, salmon or pinkish spores, Rhodosporae.

3. Brown or ochraceous spores, Ochrosporae.

4. Dark purplish or black spores, Melanosporae.

There are an infinite number of mushrooms we shall not mention. The
study of fungi has only begun in this country, and there is an immense
vista for future students.