PREAMBLE. 18

gills, and thinks, on that account, it must be the Common Mushroom, this method should be tried, and the color of the spores ascertained. For if the spores are pinkish, then the fungus in question is not the true mushroom and is possibly dangerous; but if the spores are dark purple-brown, notwithstanding that the gills were at first pink, then it is perfectly safe. So, the color of the spores is a matter of importance and should not be neglected—assuming, of course, that the person interested is not perfectly sure from experience that the right species is under observation.

We have actually known persons to mistake white or pink-spored Agarics (a large group of gilled mushrooms) for mushrooms, which they could not have done had they paid attention to the color of the spores. In another instance, we remember a foolish youth cooking and eating a small species with rust-colored spores under the impression that they were the Fairy Ring Champignon, which, by contrast, has white spores. Fortunately, in this case,