Escritoire

The Escritoire is a block added by Forestry. It is used to find out more information about a genetic sample of a bee, tree or butterfly.

Usage
To use the Escritoire, right click on it to open the GUI, then place a sample (tree, bee or butterfly) into the central space. This will cause an even number of books, minimum of 6, to appear in the grid.

Click on the books to find matching pairs. Failure is common, and this mini-game requires persistence. If you fail to find a matching pair, the books will have red crosses over them, and you must start again. Remove your sample from the central space, and place it back in to begin a new search.

If you successfully uncover all matching pairs, you will be rewarded with a Research Note, which appears on the right side of the GUI. If you are researching bees, you may also get some of the items dropped by the bee you are examining. It is possible to get a research note that you have had before, but usually you will get a new one.

The Research Note, when held in the hand an right-clicked, will increase the chance of a specific breeding mutation for the sample item by 5%. You can only 'learn' each mutation once, but the Research Note may be used by other players on a server.

When a mutation is learned, it will show on the left side when you place the researched item into the Apiarist's Chest, Arborist's Chest or Lepidopteris'ts Chest.

Hints
Hints can be purchased by placing bees, trees or butterflies (depending on the sample item) into the slots on the left, then clicking the Microscope button. Note that the items used to purchase the hint are consumed. A hint will show what is beneath some of the books, but you must still click on them to match pairs.