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55

ILLUSTRATIONS

BRITISH MYCOLOGY,

CONTAINING

FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS

THE FUNGUSES OF INTEREST AND NOVELTY INDIGENOUS

TO BRITAIN,

MRS. T. J. HUSSEY.

" Though all that feeds on nether air
Howe'er magnificent or fair,
Grows but to perish, and intrust
Its ruins to their kindred dust ;
Yet by the Almighty's ever during care
Her procreant vigils Natm-e keeps
Amid the unfathomable deeps ;
And saves the peopled fields of earth
From dread of emptiness or dearth." — Wordsworth : ' Vernal Ode .

LONDON:

REEVE, BROTHERS, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND.

1847.

REEVE, BROTHERS,

PRINTEKS AND LITHOGHRAPHERS OF SCIENTIFIC WORKS,

KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND.

INTRODUCTION.

Tov fiT] diappaiadivras ets *ai8ov poXfiv.

Msch. ProH. Vine. 243.

In teaching any science, a clear exposition of principal facts is a necessary preliminary. Some
observations upon the arrangement of genera and species are required, as well as a statement
of the characteristic parts of Funguses, to enable the reader to follow the descriptions of indi-
vidual specimens with satisfaction However clear and significant the terse classical expres-
sions of botanical science may be to the adept, they are cryptical to the uninitiated; to assign,
however, precise equivalents for them in common language is so difficult, that the indulgence
of the masters ia cryptogaraic lore is entreated for the attempt ; it woidd be a much lighter task
to adhere to accepted terms, than to render them intelligible to the student by translation.

CRYPTOGAMIA.'

FUNGI.
Plants in which the fructifying organs are so minute, that without the aid of a powerful
microscope, they cannot be detected. To the naked eye, the fine dust ejected from the plant,
is the only token of reproduction ; this dust however is not truly seed, in the same manner
that the term is used for Phenogamous '^ plants, " the word seed supposes the existence of an
embryo, and there is no such thing in the reproductive bodies of Fungi " *. The correct terms
are spores, when the seeds are not in a case (naked) ; sporidia when enclosed in cases (thecse
or asci). The spores or sporidia are placed in or upon the receptacle, which is of very various
forms and kinds, but how different soever these may be, it is the essential part of the Fungus,

' From KpvTTTos, concealed, and yapos, marriage.

2 From ipdtveiv, to appear, and ydpoi, marriage ; plants which display their flowers (in opposition to the
Cryptogamous).

^ Rev. M. J. Berkeley, who has recently made some most interesting observations on this subject. Vide also
the Rev. Dr. Badham's work on the ' Esculent Funguses of England ', in which are some vei-y ingenious speculations
on the development of the tribe from the spores.

B

11. INTRODUCTION.

and in many cases constitutes the entire plant. That portion of the receptacle in which the
reproductive bodies are imbedded is called the hymenium ; it is either external (Hymenomy-
cetes), as in the Agaric, where it forms gills ; or included (G aster omycetes), as in the Puff-balls.

The receptacle is either placed upon a stem (stipitate) or stemless (sessile) ; and sometimes
spread in thin membranous patches (effused).

Having made these preliminary general observations, which apply to the whole Fungus
family, we proceed to the first great division.

Order I. HYMENOMYCETES.'
Tribe I. PILEATI.

Eeceptacle dilated more or less in a horizontal dii'ectiou, sometimes branched, tending to an orbicular form.
Hymenium inferior.

Named iroxu_pileus a cap " the common head-covering of freedmen among the Romans,

and therefore given as a reward to such gladiators as were slaves, in token of their being

made free ". The pileus of Funguses is however the entire head of the plant, not a mere

head-covering. It is generally placed upon a stem, and indeed is a prolongation of it ; " on

dividing an Agaric or Boletus perpendicularly, it will be perceived that the stem extends itself

into a body in the form of a parasoP". Beneath its shelter lies the fructifying membrane,

scientifically defined Hymenium inferior. " In the hymenomycetous tribes, the essential

character appears to consist in a hymenium composed of closely packed sporophores, which

support on spicules a generally determinate number of spores*". In the Cupulate and Elvel-

laceous kinds the reproductive bodies are placed in cases, occasionally septate, which cases

are called asci or thecse. In stemless plants, the pileus is frequently, not merely sessile, but

also re-swpinate, that is, lying on its back, with the hymenium upwards ; but this position

there is an evident tendency to correct, one edge of the pUeus often rising, turning over, and

liecoming what is called in that case rejlexed.

To this tribe, Pileati, belong the Genera : —

1 . A.GAEICUS. — Hymenium consisting of plates {lamella) radiating from a common centre, with shorter ones iu

the interstices ; composed of a double closely-connected membrane, more or less distinct
from the pileus.

2. CANTHAUELLUS. — Hymenium dichotomous, radiating, branched folds, not distinct from the pileus.

3. MERULIUS. — Hymenium veiny, or forming unequal angular or fiexuous pores, not distinct from the pileus.

' From vfitfv, a membrane, and /nJ/ct^t, a fungus. ^ Persoon. ^ Berkeley,

J

INTRODUCTION. ui.

4. SCHYZOPHYLLUM. — Gills radiating from the base, composed of a folded membrane ruptured at the edges

which are revolute, bearing spores only on their outer surface.

5. DjEDALIA. — Hymenium, anastomosing gills, or flexuous elongated pores formed out of the corky substance of

the pUeus.

6. POLYPORUS. — Hymenium subrotund pores, with tldn simple dissepiments concrete with the substance of the

pileus.

7. BOLETUS. — Hymenium cylindrical separable tubes, distinct from the substance of the pileus.

8. PISTULINA. — Hymenium, tubes at first closed, wart-like, then open, of a distinct substance from the pileus,

but concrete with its fibres.

9. HYDNUM. — Hymenium, free spine-like processes of the same substance as the pileus.

10. SISTOTREMA. — Hymenium, in-egularly disposed curved lamellate teeth, distinct from the pileus.

1 1. IRPEX. — Hymenium torn into distinct spines, disposed in rows, or in a reticulate manner, their bases connected

by lamellate or porous folds, concrete with the pileus.

13. RADULUM. — Hymenium tuberculated, tubercles shapeless, resembling papillae or rude spines, distinct or
U'regularly fasciculate, inner substance homogeneous with the receptacle.

13. PHLEBIA. — Hymenium smooth, venoso-rugose, wrinkles interrupted, disposed ii-regularly, straight or flexuous,

homogeneous and concrete with the pileus.

14. THELEPHORA. — Hymenium even or papillate, homogeneous and concrete with the pileus.

Tribe II. CLAVATI.

Receptacle vertical, simple or branched, tending to a cylindrical form. Hymenium superior.

This second tribe is so named from davus, a club, the form of some of the species re-
sembHng that weapon. The spores or sporidia', are placed all over the upper external
surface, on which in a fully mature state, they are visible in the form of dust, or like the
bloom of fruit in appearance.

1. CLAVARIA. — Receptacle erect, more or less cylindrical, homogeneous and confluent with the stem. Hyme-

nium occupying the whole surface.

2. CALOCER.\. — Between horny and gelatinous, tough, slimy, rooting without any distinct stem. Asci slender.

3. GEOGLOSSUM. — Receptacle erect, club-shaped, sub-compressed, produced downwards into a distinct mass.

Hymenium concrete, covering the incrassated receptacle. Asci elongated.

4. SPATHULARIA. — Receptacle vertical, compressed, running down on either side into the distinct stem.
.5. MTTRULA. — Receptacle ovate, uiflated, closely surrounding with its base the distinct stem.

6. TYPHULA. — Receptacle somewhat cylindrical, distinct from the capdlary stem, bearing sporules on every side.

Asci obsolete.

7. PISTILLAEIA. — Receptacle slender, cylindrical, without any distinct stem. Hymenium even, occupying the

whole surface, but producing sporidia only in the upper part. Asci obsolete.

1 In the Clavarias they are spores, that is, naked, not in cases. In others of the tribe, Geogiossum, Spa-
thularia, Mitrula, &e., they are sporidia; that is, enclosed in asci or thecK. A new arrangement is perhaps
desirable, but as it has not "yet been completed, it is necessary to conform to the present authority, that of the
' English Flora '.

IV. INTRODUCTION.

Tribe III. MITRATI.

Eeceptacle bullate, pileiform, margined. Hjinenium superior, never closed ; reproductive bodies, sporidia packed
in asci or thecse.

These are what are called the ElveUaceous family, among them the esculent Morel and
Hehella crispa are excellent articles of food, the Morel being of importance even in a com-
mercial point of view.

1. MOECHELLA. — Receptacle pUeate. Hymenium costate, lacunose.

2. HEL^TSLLA. — Eeceptacle pileate, deflexed, lobed. Hymenium even.

3. VEEPA. — Receptacle conico-deflexed, equal. Hymenium even or \vi-iukled.

•i. LEOTIA. — Eeceptacle capitato-pileate, the margin revolute, bearing asci beneath as well as above.
5. YIBEISSEA. — Eeceptacle capitato-pileate, margin at first adnate, soon free.

Tribe IV. CUPULATI.

Eeceptacle patellaeform, margined. Hymenium superior, more or less closed when young, and concave.

In Peziza, the reproductive bodies which fly off in clouds of dust on the plant being
touched, are sporidia which were regularly packed in each case. It is unneccessary to en-
cumber the present sketch, with the sub-series and species of the Cuptilati, many of which
are minute, we refer the student to the English Flora for full particulars, inserting only
1. PEZIZA. — Receptacle more or less concave (cup-shaped), soon expanded, the disc naked,

Tribe V. TREMELLINI.

Receptacle various in form, of a more or less gelatinous substance ; spores at length biu'sting forth. For
species vide 'English Flora'.

Tribe VI. SCLEROTIACEI.

Receptacle various in form, more or less compact, fleshy. For species vide 'English Flora'.

OuDEii GASTEEOMYCETES. Ordeh HYPHOMYCETES. Order CONIOMYCETES.

Hymenium included within the Tribe I. CEPHALOTRICHEI. Tribe I. TUBERCULARINI.

uteriform excipulum. xribe II. IVrUCOEINI. Tiibe II. STILBOSPOEEI.

Tribe I. ANGIOGASTRES. Tribe III. DEMATIUM. Tribe III. SPORTDESMIET.

Tribe II. PYEENOMYCETES. Tribe IV. MUCEDINES. Tribe IV. HYPODERMIEl.

Tribe III. TEICHOSPERMI. Tribe V. SEPEDONIEI.

With these latter orders and tribes, the present work has little to do, since they are
essentially subjects for investigation, in which the naked eye fails. Those who can afford to

INTRODUCTION. V.

give thirty or forty guineas for an adequate microscope, will find here, as well as in the yet
unsettled questions as to the reproduction of Funguses, an ample field for their curiosity.
Having suppUed these Hsts for reference, this is not the place to enter into fuller details ; they
will be given where they apply to each subject, in the descriptive matter accompanying the
plates. We will proceed to the mode of collecting and examining specimens, with a view to
ascertaining the species to which they belong, and naming the precise individual ; but it
must be remembered that the present work does not pretend to give an entire Cryptogamic
arrangement; being merely illustrative ; the student must therefore be provided with vol. v. of
the ' EngUsh Flora ' of Sir- J. E. Smith, (being vol. ii. of Dr. Hooker's ' British Flora').'

ON COLLECTING PUNGUSES.

A basket is in the first place needful, and if the student should leave home without one, a
profusion of lovely and rare objects will be certain to strew his path ; in which case there
are but two alternatives, to dissect on the spot, always an imperfect operation, or to carry
away the spoil in hat or handkerchief, when on arrival at home, a heterogeneous mass of
caps, stems, &c., presents itself — disjecta membra ! who shall assign to each its proper parts?
We have known a fishing-basket turned to excellent account when fish were shy, but the best
of the osier-woven family is a plate-basket or knife-basket, unlined, it should be about a foot
and a half long by a foot wide, and six inches deep, with a partition length-wise, the handle
should be made to fold down for the facility of slipping under a carriage seat, and it is more
convenient for use without a lid ; any green leaves will screen the contents ; stiff fern-leaves
are best to prevent specimens from injuring each other ; place in this basket two tools, for
taking up by the roots from the earth, or severing from bark of trees, equally efficacious, a
long strong broad-bladed butchers' knife ! start not, gentle reader, and a wrenching chisel !
after much experience we find there is nothing too deep or too tight not to give way to these
potent engines ; the chisel should have an oval handle. Having cut deeply round the stem
of an Agaric, Boletus, &c., at a sufficient distance to ensure the volva, if it have one, being
uninjured, and you wiU find the knife cut easily through turf, insert the chisel, turn the ball

' Drawn up by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, a hand-book, for which there is no substitute at present. And even if
a much desiderated new arrangement of Funguses were completed and in the hands of the public, it would not
chanoe the nomenclature.

vi. INTEODUCTION.

of earth out, and deposit it erect and steady in the basket. Now we have filled the basket,
where shall we put the tools ? if walking, it is a puzzle, but a double leather-sheath with a
loop, to carry reticule fashion, is a good plan, at any rate have a sheath because coat pockets
can then receive them.

In placing out the specimens at home, for leisurely examination, an iron tea-tray is a good
thing for the purpose, as you can always keep the turf moist, by putting a little water into the
tray ; this is better than sprinkling the plants, but must be most sparingly done, as too
much wet not only accelerates decay, but if you are anxious to depict any of the collection,
you wiU scarcely recognize them when water-soaked, and the delay necessary to dry them
again may be inconvenient. Many of the coriaceous kinds will swell out again after having
been kept for months in a dry state, therefore attention must of course be paid to the most
fragile first. If reserved for more than an hour or two, the specimen tray should be placed
in the dark, to check too rapid development, and in a room free from currents of air.

TO ANALYSE THE CONTENTS OF THE BASKET.

A sharp knife, a pair of long slender surgeon's scissors ' and a thin, lancet-shaped piece
of ivory, are necessary adjuncts to the examination of the parts of Funguses. If the first
object of attention be a pileated fungus, in its strictest sense, that is, consisting of a cap
placed upon a stem, " Champignon " in French parlance, a " Mushroom " or " Toadstool " in
English, look underneath the cap, to ascertain the configuration of the hymenium ; if it have
plaited folds radiating from the stem, it is an Agaric ; if resembling a mass of fine sponge, it
is a Boletus ; if spinous points are seen, it is a Hydimm ; if branching veins, a CantJiarellus.
It is an Agaric — point one, then, is determined ; next we must ascertain the colour of the
spores ; for the colour of the ffill, Withering's distinction, is none in fact, as the common
Mushroom is pale pink while the spores are yet undeveloped, and then* deep purple-brown
tint, on attaining matmity, changes the colour of the gill. When the colour of the gills
resembles shot-silk in effect, it is because the spores are of one colom- and the membrane ou
which they are placed of another.

Place the Agaric in an upright position in a glass tumbler ; in an hour or two, if nearly
mature, a plentiful deposite of the dust-like spores will be ejected against the sides of the glass.

' Sharp-pointed scissors cut a delicate membrane much better than a knife ; the piece of ivory aids in removing
a veil, dividing delicate parts, &c., for inspection without risk of cutting or bruising, it should be almost needle-
pointed, but//a^, not round.

INTRODUCTION. vii.

These may be white ' pale-rose^, reddish orchre, ferruginous or brown-pui'ple ; by these tints,
the plant is ascertained to belong to a particular series ; if you can afford to sacrifice the speci-
men, cut the stem clean away from the pUeus with your long scissors, and place it, gills
downwards, upon a watch-glass, you will procure a most lovely pattern of the gills formed by
the fallen spores, and may afterwards reverse the watch-glass, gumming its edge down
upon a piece of card, upon which to inscribe the name, as well as to protect the contents,
and thus form a cabinet of spores for reference. Watch-glasses are not dear if bought by
the gross. To return to om* Agaric ; however we may have obtained the spores, they are
white, then we have determined point the second, and our researches to fix upon the individual
must be restricted to the series with white dust, Leucosporus.

There are twelve species under Leucosj)orus, and a little practice will give the power of
referring an Agaric to its proper place. If on breaking it, milky di'ops form, it belongs
undoubtedly to Galorrheus (from •yaXa milk and piw iofow), and we have only to compare it
with the members of that class, to find its name ; if the veil which covers the gills in a
young state, is like a spider's web, it will probably belong to TricJioloma (from 6pl^ a hair, and
\(Syu.a a fringe) ; if it have a striking characteristic, the ring well developed, and no volva, it
is under Armillaria, (from armilla a ring) and so on ; and if it had a volva or universal veil ?
great care must be taken to ascertain this by removing the soil carefully from the root, for
sometimes an Agaric has, sometimes has not this appendage, and when it has, it is possibly
hidden among the grass roots. This volva is a white purse-like membrane, thrown over the
head of the young plant, and drawn in quite below the root in its most perfect form, Fig. A ;
afterwards the head of the pileus bursts through it in its upward growth, part of the volva still
adhering to it in patches or warts, and part remaining sheathing the stem like the calyx of a
flower — and here it is, our plant has a decided volva, B. It has too an inner veil, attached
to the margin of the pileus and also to the stem, covering the gills. Now point the third is
determined, for it is the subgenus of Leiicosporus, Amanita, which has two veils, a universal
veil (volva) distinct from the epidermis,^ and a partial veil, for so this membrane which at first
was attached to the edge of the pileus, B., as well as to the stem, completely covering the gills,

' Among the wldte are one or two buff and one pale pinkish-purple ; among the brown-purple, a few quite
black ; but these trifling exceptions do not aifect the general classification.

* This colour is not a pink-rose, but a diluted vermilion.

•* Lepiola has a universal veil, but it is confluent with the epidermis, attached to it in the form of scales, &c.,
except one portion which forms the ring ; whereas, in Amanita, the ring is part of the inner veil, and not connected
at all with the outer one.

VIU.

INTEODUCTION.

is called ; after it has been ruptured by tbe expansion of the cap, it forms a ring, round

the stem, C. Now of the genus Amanita there are only three plants, among which to choose

oiu-s ; for we know our volva is loose, remaining like a sheath, and in all the others, it is set

down as obliterated. Characters are pointed out in these tlnree applying to the margin of

the pileus, 1, margin even: 2 and 3, margin striate: this means that the flesh being thin

towards the margin of the pileus, the gUls beneath cause an elegant ribbed appearance, but

ours is smooth, E., like the shell of an egg, then it cannot be Nos. 2 or 3, but is the first Agaric

of the ' Enghsh Flora ', one of the most perfect and elegant, and one of the most deadly ;

fortunately not common. There remains now only to verify the particular description, by

making a longitudinal section, and however the young botanist may be perplexed with the

novelty or difficulty of terms, no diffuse explanation gives half as good and determinate ideas,

so that our first and last advice will always be, — acquii-e the terms of strict botanical usage.

Here are the botanical characteristics of our Agaric, extracted from the ' Enghsh Flora '.

" Volva ' loose, mp.rgin of the pileus even.
"1. A. Phalloides. Pileus more or less scaly, margin not striate, stem hollow above, volva bulbous. Pileus
two to three inches broad, fleshy, at first hemispherical, then expanded or even slightly depressed, sometimes slightly
umbonate, irregularly scaly from the fragments of the volva adhering to the surface, which is slimy when moist.
The margin quite even and free from striae ; white, straw-colom-ed, oMve-gi'een, with brown markings, &c. Gills
niunerous, unequal, ventricose, broader in front, pure white, sub-adnexed, sometimes quite free ; when young

'V^

cV. ^-"-■^a-.is^'

A. Volva entire. B. Volva in matnrity. C. Ring — remains of the inner Veil. D. Edge of Pileus
to which the ring, C, was attached. E, Section showing the shape of gills.

covered with a membrane, which in the course of expansion either falls off or forms a deflexed ring. Stem three to
four inches high, half an inch thick, fibrdlose, with a few adprcssed scales arising from the partial ring, which was
at first in contact with it, attenuated upwards, bulbous below, and there furnished with a variously lobed volva
which is adnate with the base of the stipes, but has the margin free and more or less expanded ; in general hollow
at the apex for some distance down, though occasionally the inner substance is only a little more spongy than the
outer."

' A. volvaceus of Bulliard has a loose, marked volva, but the spores ste purple-brown .

Order Htmenomtcetes.' Tribe Pileati."^

Plate I.

AGARICUS MUSCARIUS, ze...

Fli/ Agaric.

Gen. Char. Hymenium consisting of plates, radiating from a common centre, witli shorter ones in the interstices,
composed of a double closely-connected membrane, more or less distinct from the pilaus. Veil various, or absent.

Series Leucosporus.' Subgenus Amanita.*

Suhgen. CJiar. Amanita. Veil double ; one universal, covering the whole plant in a young state, distinct fi'om
the epidermis, at length burst by the protrusion of the pUeus, part remaining at the base of the stem, part either
falling off, or forming warts on the pileus ; the other veil partial, at first covering the gills, and afterwards fonning
a reflected sub-persistent ring on the top of the stipes. Stem stuffed, at length hollow, squamoso-fibriUose,
thickened at the base. Pileus with the disc fleshy, the margin thin, campanulate, then plane, ^^scid when moist.
GUIs attenuated behind, free, broader in front, ventricose, close but httle unequal.

Spec. Char. Ag. muscarius. Pileus from three to seven inches broad, convex, depressed in age, rich scarlet
or occasionally buff bro^vn or whitish, studded with conical, superficial warts ; epidermis viscid when moist ;
margin striate. GUIs broad, ivoiy white, ventricose, free or slightly adnexed. Spores white. Stem four to
nine inches high, half an incli to an inch thick, stuffed, at length hollow, bulbous, the bidb scaly from the
remains of the volva.

Agakicus muscarius, Linnwus, Berkeley, Sowerii/, Withering, Purton, Fittadini.
Amanita muscaria, Schoeffer, Persoon, Greville, Gray.
L'Oeonge fausse, Paulet.

Sab. Growing on the ground, not on wood ; not soon decaying.

" The face of the covmtiy in general is thinly-covered with stnntcd trees, having a bottom
of moss, mixed with low weak heath."

Captain King is describing a favoui'ite locality of the Agaricus muscarius — the wilds of Kamtschatka —
and wherever a similar state of tilings prevails it may probably be found ; climate has little to do with the
matter, for it is a native of Italy as of Northern Russia, but where the rich loamy soil gives to our counties
the distinctive title of " agricultural ", this, as well as many others of the Agaric family, will be sought in
vain. Indeed, a general observation holds good, that the cultivation of the soil destroys these, its wild
children ; as the red man fades before the wliite, Funguses are obliterated by corn and potatoes. This is
probably a reason why Prance and Italy produce tliis tribe so abundantly ; many tracts of old forest-land in
both countries lie in wild neglect, wlulst in England nearly every available acre bears old furrow marks if
not recent ones ; so that though we may search our woods and heaths and discover nearly all the variety
of the south as well as the north, they are scanty in quantity like their habitats. The unfilled Highlands
of Scotland abound in them, and there our present subject flourishes most profusely, although frequent
in "West Kent and Northern England,

' From i/xiji/, a meinbram, and \ivKr\i, & fungus. ^ Yrom pileus, a cap.

^ From XcvKos, white, and (mopos, a seed. * From d/iai/iVm, an old Greek name for Funguses in general.

o

This splendid Agaric lifts its head boldly, the " observed of all observers ", even the most careless
so that it is oftener kicked to pieces, and other attentions of the kind bestowed on it, than most " Toad-
stools " receive ; I have mourned over specimens nearly a foot across, their pure ivory gills and glowing
scarlet pileus crushed in the dusty road. But I must confess it is but a meretricious beauty after all,
so showy, so fair ! looking so good ! teaching us to distrust appearances above all examples among
Funguses ; the poor ugly sombre Boletus ediilis, if we placed them side by side, would have no chance in
outward comparison, but tried by the fiery ordeal of the gridiron, our ugly friend is as excellent an article
of food as this lovely one is detrimental. Tasted raw, it is neither acrid, nor in any warning way unpleasant ;
the poison it contains is that principle called Amanitine, which is not dissipated by cooking, and is t/te
jjoisoiious principle of Agarics ; other mischiefs arise from acrimony, or mere indigestibility, and are quite
secondary.

Agaricus muscanus was so called by Limiseus, because, according to popular belief in Sweden, it kills
the flies wliich settle on it ; in France, Bulliard says, it did them no harm.' It is difficult to determine
between these two great authorities, since in England at the time it abounds there are few flies to kill ;
but as far as observation went it had no effect — they did not avoid it. It has been recommended in doses
of from ten to tlurty grains for epilepsy, and externally as a dressing for ulcers. The expressed juice is
said to pm-ify furnitui'e from noxious insects.

It is the ]\Iushroom used by the Koriacs in decoction for their drinking festivities,^ and does not kill
them, although it produces delirious intoxication,^ and those effects which excite the Malay under the
influence of other drugs " to run a muck ". Among the Tartars, the Moukhamorr is said to be worshipped ;
a more correct statement woiild be, perhaps, that it is an element in their worship, not its object. Under
its Pythonic influence they are supposed to be divinely mspired and to speak oracles, and it is not
impossible that its stimulating powers suggested the incursions of the Mongols into Europe. Tlie mighty
Alaric might owe his inspirations, not to brandy as some have said, but to Moukhamorr; and thus, from
using it as a means to procure the divine afflatus, intoxication has become religion among the besotted
tribes of Koriac Kamtschatka.

Agancus muscanus can scarcely be confounded with any other British species. Bulliard takes great
pains to discriminate between L'Oronge fausse (J. miiscarius) and L'Oronge vraie {A. Casaretis), but it
would be superfluous here as we have not the A. Casareus in England. Withering beheved that he had
found it, but his A. Xerampelimis, so called also by Sowerby, is A. ndilans and belongs to a different
subgenus. To recapitulate the principal botanical characters of A. timscarins : — " The plant rises out of the
ground inclosed within the brown studded wrapper" (Withering), but it will be seldom detected in this
state, as the wrapper or volva is destroyed when the plant begins to expand j the earth round old plants
must be carefully removeij, and the tiny buttons just peeping extricated; it now seems all bulb, with
fibrous roots. The outer wTapper soon disappears, except the warts on the cap and the scales on the bulb,
wliich are its corrugated remains ; and the inner veil is seen, extended from the stem to the edge of the cap,
covering the gills, and preserving them from all injury tiU the spores they contain are mature, at which
time the expansive growth of the plant ruptures tliis veil also, leaving some fragments pendent from the rim
of the cap, wliile the greater part remains attached to the stem, forming the ring.

' From a Russian friend : " Moukhamorr, in the Russian language, is the name given to poisonous Mushrooms,
which are exactly hke yoiu- drawing ; the red-jacket Mushroom nnth white buttons, which is generally used in
Russia to kill flies. They lay a httle pounded sugar on the fungus, which the flies no sooner partake of than they
die immediately. The pronunciation of the word is just as you have written it, and the hteral meaning is ' fly-killer '."

2 " Their passion for strong liquors has led them to invent a drink, equally powerful with brandy, which is
scarce and dear, which they extract from a red Mushroom, known in Russia as a strong poison under the name of
' Moukhamorr '." — Rees Ency. Art. Koriac.

^ " Dnmkenness among these people is a rehgious practice." — Rees, ibid.

1

Jlate/,II.

T eonni'd . iiu] ,

GeaStST limloatUS , Tries

J^eeve , :iiirp.

Order Gasteromycetes.' Sub-order Trichoyastres P

Plate II.

GEASTER^ LIMBATUS^ Fries.

Multifid Starry Pi/ff-baU.
Geu. Char. Peridiuin double, outer distinct, splitting into rays.

S;pec. Char. G. limbatus. Outer peridium coriaceous, multifid, expanded ; inner subpyriform pedunculate, mouth
fimbriato-pilose, depressed, sub-acute.

Geaster limbatus, Fries, Berkeley.

multifidiun, Greville.

Lycoperdon steUatum, Hudson, Woodtmrd, Sowerby, Withermg, Ptirton.
Geasteum steUatum, Gray.

Hab. On liedge-banks, in loose sandy soU.

The Geasters, or Starry Puff-balls, are not only interesting from their beauty and curious mechanism,
but from their rarity ; wliich is the cause of great inaccm-acy in many descriptions of them, the accounts we
have being cliiefly traditions, handed down from one botanist to another since the time of Eay ; not skilful
discriminations from fresh specimens : when, therefore, a Geaster does present itself, the difficulty of
identifying it is great. Nature has bestowed extreme care in guarding tliis Fungus fi-om external im-
pressions, not only having given it an outer peridium, or envelope, but also hygrometric properties, which
in wet weather cause the volva-Uke case, wliich is of a consistence between cork and leather, to close over
the delicate little ball inside ^ It is obvious that many English seasons must be unpropitious to the growth
of a plant needing all this protection, and wliich, even in its great-coat, chooses the most sheltered nooks
for its habitat.

The summer of 1846, so genial towards all the Fungus tribe, was a favourable opportunity for the
Geasters to venture forth. On the 28th of August a remarkable group of G. limbatus was foimd on a most
sheltered hedge-bank (a site all observers have concurred in gi\ang to it), wliich had been made with road-
drift, forming a very loose soil. There were lying, their rays intersecting each other, and the small and
weak pushed aside by the robust, eleven perfect Earth-stars, in a space not more than eighteen inches
square j the remains of others were also found, making, in all, eighteen in that one spot. They were in

' From yaa-rtfp, the stomach, and iivktjs, a. fungus; hymenium included in the receptacle.

^ From 6p\^, a hair, and ■yao-njp, the stomach ; receptacle fiUed with floccose hairs, on which the spores are placed.

^ From y^, the mrtt, and (icmjp, a s/ar ; Earth-star. ** Fringed; with reference to the cUiato-iimbriate mouth.

' Perhaps all Geasters are hygrometric when young, only losing their sensibility ivith age, in which state the
rays become flaccid and then expand still flatter on being wetted ; as was the case with those mentioned by Sowerby.

various stages of growth ; from the apparent bird's nest of grass and earth, just beginning to break into
stellar rays, showing the egg-like ball inside, to the fully expanded star, mth its points recurved towards
the ground, and, owing to that change in position, becoming deeply and transversely cracked. When
young, the unbroken ball Hes below the surface, covered with a shaggy white coat, which grasps tightly all
the grass-roots and leaves, and small gritty soil. Withering describes the external surface as "bright
silverj' white ", but even in a dry state it is almost impossible to clear that of the specimens under con-
sideration, from the foreign bodies they so tenaciously hold as part of themselves ; probably to acquire the
resistance of weight against the wind, which otherwise would blow them away when expanded. The long
root, which the same authority mentions, as resembling that of Geaster coliformis, running iato the ground
and breaking from the sudden upward growth, I can find no trace of ; not one of these specimens shows a
sign of it, neither was anjihing like the withered root of one entangled in the masses accumulated round
others, which from their confused growth must surely have been the case.^

As soon as the yet entire ball of the Geasier limbatm rises above the surface, it splits at the apex, and
the segments faU back, forming rays, which vary greatly in number, and ai'e generally irregular. The most
perfect specimens, however, seldom exceed five main rays, for the intermediate ones, though splitting away
from these at the points, remain cormected with them for some distance from the base. The hygrometric
property is strong in the imperfectly expanded stars, but those fuUy recurved never resume their original
position ; probably because it is only in an unripe state that the closing up of the outer peridium, which
has some resemblance to the calyx of a flower, is needful; when the seed is ripe for dispersion, this officious
care would be an obstacle.-

The real Puff-ball (inner peridium or receptacle) is grey, top-shaped, the summit rather depressed, but
in the centre the mouth rises, surrounded by minute corrugations ; this mouth is composed, in general, of
four segments, which are acutely pointed, beset with yellowish brown hairs (ciliated) and twisted into one
cone ; when the spores force an exit, the mouth is torn down on one side of the receptacle. Great attention
must be paid as to whether this inner ball be truly sessile, that is, stemless, or only appears so, the stem
not being seen in Geaster limbatus, tiU the tliick outer coat has become completely recurved ; the head is
sunk between the high shoulders, but as they fall its neck becomes apparent, there is a very evident stem
(peduncle) and the bottom of the httle globe is dravna in to meet it ; but there is no groove round the top
of the stem, wliich is a distinguishing mark from another individual of the same family. The dust-Hke
spores are rich brown, and very plentiful ; situated on hairs (whence the name of the sub-order Tricliogastres,
to which it belongs), which hairs are firmly attached by one end to the peridium, and the other extremities
converge towards a spongy pistil- shaped protuberance in the centre.

On making a careful section (which those feminine implements, scissors, \\'iU execute far better than a
knife), the outer case wiE be found to consist of two layers of coriaceous substance ; the upper layer being
divided at the shoulders, to have dove-tailed between the two, the neck of the precious little ball they hold
in charge (for precious it surely must be to merit so much care) and which is endently of a totally different
substance to its quondam envelope — now pedestal.

The outer case, although nearly colourless when dry, gives out, on being soaked in water, a rich brown
stain and smells Uke dried tongue.

' Those Funguses which are sustained in their place by the attachment of similar cottony matter to dead
leaves, &c., are destitute of a penetrating root generally, if not invariably. Still there is no doubt of our present
subject being the Lycoperdon itellatum. of this autlior, whose other remarks apply admirably.

2 The contents of the receptacle were fully matured in all the specimens before its outer case expanded, and
the mouth did not open for the emission of the dust tUl that expansion was complete.

^

J

[3

^

^

^

I — I

3

Order Hymenomycetes.' Tribe Vileati?

PiATE III.

MERULIUS LACHRYMANS,

Hie Dry-rot.

Gen. Char. Hymenium veiny or sinuoso-plicate. Folds not distinct from the flesh of the pileus, forming
unequal angular or flexuous pores, not tubes.

Spec. Char. M. lachrymans ; effused, large, yellow, ferruginous or deep orange ; margin white, tomentose ;
folds large, poroso-siuuate.

Merulius lachrymans, TTulfen, Greville, Fries.
Boletus lachrymans, Soweri?/, Withering, Furton.
Merulius destruens, Fersoon.

The ravages of Dry-rot, whether in the noblest ships of the Navy, or behind the wainscot of the Httle
back parloui, are unfortunately too weU known, having in recent times occasioned universal consternation ;
the practical wisdom of the builder, as well as the science of the arcliitect, have been foiled by a Pungus,
and the medicaments of the chemist employed to cure disease, which it would appear all timber " is heir to."
Yet many old houses, composed almost entirely of wood, remain intact, their beams and wainscots enduring
tlirough centuries, never having betrayed a symptom of that latent evil, which now often demands the sub-
sitution of entirely new materials, before a mansion has been completed. On admiration being expressed of
the oaken floors &c., in the ancient part of Knowle, "Yes," said the house-keeper, "but you cannot
carry a lighted candle through these rooms " ! Doubtless the horror we of the nineteenth century have of
draughts, is one of the causes of mischief, as far as the erection of houses is concerned, but ventilation,
though it may dry up mere boarding, could scarcely be sufBcient to season a beam wliich had the rudiments
of Dry-rot at heart. The ancient mansions of England were built with trees cut upon the estate with a view
to their destination, and stripped of their bark in the spring, in preparation for being cut down the next
winter f gentlemen in felUng their old oaks, had not an eye to the tan-pit, wliich the timber-merchant has
since found so considerable a source of profit. " Happy were it for our timber if some invention of tanning
without so much bark were become universal, that trees being more early felled, the timber might be better
seasoned and conditioned for its various uses " *.

The Romans, who took Httle account of the bark, cut the tree half tlu-ough in spring, in preparation
for taking it do\vn the succeeding winter. Vitruvius, Columella, Theophrastus, PHny, &c., have left many
directions for guidance as to tunes and seasons, some of which may now cause a smile, but because we do not
believe with them, that the age of the moon had any influence on the timber, we are not justified in
throwing over the results of their experience as to its durabiHty. " They considered the proper season to

' From vtir^v, a membrane, and fivxrjr, Ti fungus. ^ Yxom pileus, a cap.

3 This is, or was till lately, the system in the Forest of Dean.

* Evelyn's ' Sylva ', vol. ii. p. 208 ; by " more early felled ", Evelyn means early in the year : January, or February.

be December, and unanimously pronounce that if tben felled, it will neither shrink, warp, nor cleave, nor
decay in many years ". " If you fell not oak (says EveljTi) tOl the sap is in rest, as it is commonly about
November and December, after the frost has well nipped them, the very saphngs thus cut, wiU continue
without decay, as long as the heart of the tree. And the reason of this is briefly given by Vitruvius, because
the winter air closes the pores, and so consequently consolidates the trees ; by wliich means the oak, as he
and PUny both express it, will acquire a sort of eternity in its duration ; and much more so if it be barked
in the spring, and left standing all the summer, exposed to the sun and wind, as is usual in Staffordshire
and the adjacent counties (1690); by which we find by long experience, the trunks of the trees so dried and
hardened, that the sappy part in a manner, becomes as firm and durable as the heart itself". — Plot, in
P/iiL Trans, vol. xvii. 7). 455.

Tlie custom of felling wood in winter prevailed in England from the most ancient times, but the high
price of tanners' bark introduced the custom of cutting down the trees in spring, thereby gaining the bark
of the branches as well as of the butt, and saving some trifling expence in disbarking, which is more trouble
when the tree is standing. Buffon advises that trees required for timber, should first be stripped of their
bark, and left to die standing, the sappy part by this means becoming as hard as the interior, without
cracking, warping, or decaying.^

" It is the sap in the wood ", says M. Necker, quoted by Bowden " which is the cause of its destruc-
tion ; it heats, corrupts, reduces it to dust, and rots it before its time." -

In the year 1815, Mr. Bowden drew up a report to the government, on Dry-rot, and in corroboration
that the sap, remaining in the wood, is the cause of the decay, gives much valuable information, and facts,
as to the duration of various sliips.

The 'Sovereign of the Seas', constructed for Charles I., was two years in building 1636-7, of wood
cut in winter, having been barked the spring previous. After forty-seven years service, and figuring in
several engagements, she was broken up, but a great part of the wood was so sound, as to be employed in
building a second ship of the same name. The ' Eoyal William', 100 guns, built of wood barked in spring,
and cut the next winter, was tlu-ee years on the stocks, and was finished in 1719; after much hard work she
was finally broken up in 1813, having lasted ninety-four years.

The "Achilles", a sixty-gun ship, built in 1757, in the short period of one year and two months (by Mr.
Barnard of Deptford by contract, p. 137.) of timber barked in the spring while standing, and cut down in
the following winter, after being in active service nearly six years, employed as a guard-ship about seven years,
continuing in the West Indies (so destructive to ships) about two years, and lying up in ordinary tlikteen
years, making altogether a period of twenty-seven years and a half without being once repaired, is found on
being taken to pieces, as sound as the first day she was launched p. 138,-39-40. Any doubts that may
have been raised as to the partial repairs of the two before-mentioned ships, invalidating their claim to dma-
bility cannot apply to the ' AchiUes ', in which not a single timber had been replaced.

In the Eoyal Dockyards at that time there was an allowance to the providers of wood of this kind, to
indemnify them for the loss of the bark ; but that article rose so much in value, as to render the per

' " The supposed superior quaUty of the wood when winter-felled, and the general practice of felling oak timber
at that season, may be inferred from a statute of James 1st. whereby it is enacted, that no persons shall fell, or cause
to be felled, any oaken trees meet to be barked, when bark is worth two shillings a cart-load (timber for the needful
building and reparation of houses, ships, or mills, only excepted) but between the 1st. day of AprU, and the last
day of June ; not even for the King's use, out of barking time, except for building or repahing his Majesty's houses
or ships". — Siipp. Erie. Brit.

2 Neither M. Necker nor Mr. Bowden are to be considered as authority with regard to the natural history of
Dry-Eot ; but this does not affect the argimient as to the sap lel't in the wood being its immediate cause ; the mode
in which the Fungus is germinated, is a question of botanical physiology for separate consideration.

centage paid insufficient. The last vessel, the 'Montague', built with this description of timber was
launched in 1779 and in 1819 promised to become a centenarian, as the 'Royal William' had nearly done.
These are facts, and speak for themselves ; surely it was false economy not to raise the indemnity for loss of
bark to its full extent ; for sliips have rotted unfinished since then.

The decay of wood from being placed in wet earth, or other similar causes, must not be confounded
with the havoc made by MeruUus lachrymans.

In the section of a piece of wood attacked by Dry-rot, a microscope reveals minute wliite threads
spreading and ramifjang throughout its substance ; these interlace and become matted together, into a white
cottony texture, resembling lint, which effuses itseK over the surface of the timber ; then in the centre of
each considerable mass, a gelatinous substance forms ^ which becomes gradually of a yellow tawny hue,
and a wrinkled sinuated porous consistence, shedding a red powder (the spores) upon a white down ; tliis
is the re-supinate pUeus, the hjTnenium being upwards, of Menilius lackrymans in its perfect and matured
state. Long before it attains to this, the whole interior of the wood on which it is situated has perished,
the sap vessels being gradually filled by the cottony filaments of the Pungus ; no sooner do these appear
externally, than examination proves that the apparently solid beam may be crmnbled to dust between the
fingers ^ ; tenacity and weight are annihilated ; cure, not only there is none, but there never could have
been, as the e\Tl is not known till it is final.

And how came Dry-rot there ? It was in the sap when the tree was felled. It found in that sap,
perhaps the fermenting principle that called it into life, certainly the nutriment propitious to its grofli;h, and
so it fed and flourished till it usurped the very place of the wood which fostered it.

But how came the Meruliim lachrymans to be latent in the sap ? This subject is as yet dimly under-
stood ; modern microscopes aiding that patient research wliich seeks to arrive at truth by inductive means,
instead of theorizing on defective data, may be expected to prove, what at present is only probable ^

This then is probable. In ancient forests, where a succession of trees flourished and deca3'ed, millions
of the spores of Funguses must have been scattered, and carried to the earth by rains. These impalpable
dnst-like bodies would be absorbed along with the moisture by the roots of the trees, and carried into the
sap- vessels, being so minute as to circidate easily tlirough them. Here then are the elements of parasitic
life, whenever fitting opportunity occurs. * This opportunity is afforded, when the energies of the tree are
weakened by age, and the circulation languishes ; to an analogous state a vigorous tree is reduced by felling.

Fistulina kejiatica and various species of Polyjiorus, divert the feeble current of life in the dying trunk,
to their own active growth, and if, in the sap of the cut timber, spores of Menilius lacliryynans should be
latent, it will evolve that Fungus, being no longer necessary to the tree itself.

So far the analog}' between the felled and the decaying trunk, is, that both submit to a parasitic growth
at their expence ; but it is probable that beyond tins passive mode of fostering such growth, the sap of the

' In this state it sometimes distils drops of water, whence its name — lachrymans.

2 " Architects also know that beams are sometimes taken from old houses so much decayed in the middle that
they could tlu-ust their arms into thera from either of the ends, whUe at the same time the beams have been appa-
rently sound on all their sides." — Bowden. p. 17.

* " The perfect plant may be produced from the seed, careied up into the longitudinal tubes of a growing tree,
by the rising of the sap ! though it woidd seem that the process of vegetation in the parasite thus lodged, will not
commence, so long as the vital principle of the sap in the tree remains in activity. Indeed it is pretty evident,
from numerous observations, that the process of fermentation is necessaiy to the growth of all Fungi." — Siippl. to
Enei/. Brit. Also vide Badham on ' The Esculent Funguses of England ', and a paper by Mr. Berkeley, on Bunt,
Journal, Sort. Society, March, 1847.

■• Persoon says that we may suppose the reproductive bodies of Funguses mnate in different plants, according
to their nature, and waiting tiU a malady, or even the desti'uction of the vegetable (or tree) favours their develop-
ment. He elucidates this by the presence of Entozoa in sickly animals.

vigorous tree, by fermenting, actively assists it ^ ; the venerable old monarch of the forest, decayed at heart,
is tlie prey of large external Funguses ; not Dry-rot, which is brought into being by the more restless
agency left to work in the prostrated, but not yet defunct "stick of timber".

Had the sap been suffered to descend before the oak was feUed, it would not in all probabihty have left
behind this embrj-o pest, which was circulating with it ; at any rate, the food for its nutrition would not have
been there ; the proper season therefore for taking down timber, is clearly after the fall of the sapless leaf,
not when every one of its pores is filled with an active power for evil or for good, provided to impel forward
new fohage but perverted into dry-rot. Such timber it is not possible to exsiccate by any after care ; the
only thing that can be done is to substitute some poison, by saturation, for its proper juices, or to force
them out by tremendous pressure. This latter alternative however has the disadvantage of rendering the
wood too sohd.

K noble oaks are doomed, " when ripe for the harvest " let them be taken down in January, without
any reference to the tanner ; such timber warranted would always command a market, and deficiencies in
bark may be suppHed fi'om Australian or chemical resources.

Charring affects only the external surface. " Although, says Persoon, the Fungus tribe love humidity
they are never found under water "-. Immersion has been proved to be an effectual preventive of Dry-rot
and that not necessarily in salt-water, to which the permanent dampness it gives, is an objection. Probably
a lengthened immersion substitutes water for the sap entirely ; it is said that the timber for threshing-floors
and the wainscoting of old mansions was formerly soaked in running streams, with the butt end towards the
current, so that the water was injected throughout the whole length of the sap vessels. The mode of preparing
timber for masts, is to keep it in mast-locks, and one taken out of the mud in Deptford dockyard, where it
had lain for fifty years, was used for the Kangaroo sloop of war and proved most serviceable. At Brest,
where dry-rot is unknown in ship-bmlding, aU the timber is kept in a creek of the harbour. Might not
this principle of seasoning be appKed more generally, and in houses ? All timber is not equally prone to
decay from dry-rot, some trees, even though full of sap when cut, never showing a symptom of it ; there are
therefore soils and situations exempt from the spores of Merul'ms laclirymans ; but, whether or not its
germs are in the tree, cannot be detected while it is yet soimd. It is probable that open airy plains wQl
fiu-nish the most healthy, close dank woods the most diseased, timber. Tliis was the belief of our forefathers;
Plot goes so far as to recommend that no timber gro\ni among underwood or coppices shoidd be bought for
the king's Yards,

' The half-built vessels were stove-heated to dry them faster, when the growth of the Fungus was materially
accelerated ; a result the botanist would have anticipated, though the carpenter did not ; as the effect was to apply
the hot-house system of forcing.

The cupidity of quacks often interfered to prevent the truth bemg ehcited. In the article 'Dry-rot ', in Eees'
Eucy., drawn up appai'ently by a practical biulder, it is gravely stated that one JIi'. Johnson found out that Dry-rot
was caused by a plant Uke a riue, the leaves of which he kept to show. Wherever this fell plant touched it poisoned
the wood, and, hydra-hke, sprouted when deemed dead !

2 It is well known that although dew, and electric showers promote the growth of the common Mushroom,
heavy cold rains destroy the spawn, " they drown it " says an experienced Mushroom gatherer.

Now that so many labourers cannot find employment in winter, the takuig down trees at that time may be true
economy, and save in poor-rates what is lost by stripping the trees standing.

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Order Hymenomycetes. ' Tribe Pileati.

Plate IV.

CANTHAHELLUS' CIBARIUS, Fnes.

Esculent Chanterelle.

Ge?i. C/iar. Pileus furnished below with dichotomous radiating branched sub-parallel folds, not separable
from the flesh, sometimes anastomosing or obsolete.

Spec. Char. C. cibaeius ; entu-e plant rich yolk-of-egg yellow, pileus fleshy, firm, smooth, sub-repand, lobed, de-
pressed, the margin vaulted, from one to four inches across ; folds tumid, distant ; stem solid, attenuated down-
wards ; spores pale oclu'c, nearly white.

Canthaeellus cibarius. Fries, Berkeley, G-reville, Roqiies.
Agaricus CanthareUus, Linnmis, Schteffer, BulUard, Sowerhy.
Merulitjs Canthai-ellus, Witlier'my, Purton, Fersoon.
GiROLLE ordinah-e, Faulet.

Hob. Borders of woods, particularly under oaks.

Chanterelles were formerly classed with the Agarics, and at first may be mistaken by the inexperienced for
members of that genus, but very slight attention will show wherein they differ. In place of the gills, which
in Agarics resemble the plaits of a fan, a CanthareUus has folds, disposed in the same manner, but much
shallower, resembling veins, swelling out (tumid), instead of the sharp edge of the plaited gill; these folds
or veins moreover, are of the same substance as the stem and cap, you cannot pull them away without
tearing the flesh j whereas the gills of an Agaric are composed of a membrane distinct from the rest of the
plant.

The CanthareUus cibarius is very irregular in form ; in a young state the margin of the pileus is rolled
in towards the stem, so as to resemble a turban ; as it expands, it becomes variously lobed, depressed in
the centre like a wine-glass (infundibuliform), the stem generally turned on one side by the unequal growth
of the pileus, but not truly excentric ; it is of one uniform hue, that of an orange apricot, and possesses the
delicious fragrance of that fruit, or of a ripe green-gage ; for this reason it is one of the esculent Funguses
most easily discriminated, and concernmg which there can be no uncertainty when once the collector has
formed its acquaintance, for no other variety of the genus has tliis peculiar scent ; nor indeed has any other
fungus been noticed to possess it. The cap, which becomes in a degree bleached by exposure to the air
is not viscid although perfectly bald and shinuig, tliis was once considered a sure difference between it and
C. anrantiacus, said to be dangerous ; but M. Klotzsch found specimens of that, in the Highlands, which
were smooth also, so tliis condition must not be depended upon to ensure the goodness of a Chanterelle,
although the converse, having a cloth-like nap (tomentose) or locks of cottony fleece (floccose) or scales
(squamose) must be instant signs of condemnation for the individual possessing them ; apart from esculent

' From Kavdapos, a vase, or cup, — a shape the pileus often assumes.

considerations, however, two of these rejected ones are worthy of notice, being rare ; and C. aurantiacus is
elegant, its folds are very fine and close, and repeatedly branched, in C. cibarius they are wide apart, and
swelling, with many cross wrinkles between.

Persoon, speaking of this Chanterelle, says " there are places where the inhabitants make it their principal
food ". In England it is not common, although in a few spots, an abundant supply may be sometimes met
with. It loves elevated woods, under oaks, where at intervals it may be found during the whole period
from Spring tiU Autumn ; it affects the " ring " style of growth, and on the open borders of old woodland,
may be generally traced in a circular form ; it also grows irregulai-ly among heathy underwood, but never in
rank grass nor where the ground is wet from the dripping of trees, or decaying vegetation ; (a favourite
habitat, according to Persoon, for the C. mirantiacm, and to wliich he attributes its deleterious qualities).
Sowerby says it is found frequently in fir woods, and he knew, and has figured it well, so that no doubt it is
so, although our own experience has not verified the fact. Its excellence as an article of food we have per-
sonally verified, making it a point of conscience not to recommend in the course of this work, any Fungus
wliich has not been fully tried upon our own constitution ; tastes may differ as to what pleases the palate,
but unless we can add, " perfectly wholesome " no commendation shall be bestowed. Our testimony then
as to Cantharellus cihar'ms concurs with that of the Prench, Austrian, English and Italian authorities which
Vittadini winds up with a superlative " sapidissimus ". Some of the continental writers hint, that it is not
quite the thing raw, but a meal of any crude vegetable is a hazardous experiment upon EngHsh digestion ;
none need hesitate to partake, when cooking has rendered it tender. Trattinick asserts " not only this same
Fungus never did any one harm, but might even restore the dead" !^

This being the first we notice of the esculent kinds, two observations, which apply generally, wiU not be
superfluous. In the first place then they should be brought from their site direct to the kitchen, when, if
the period of sending them to table must be deferred beyond a few hours, they should be half-dressed,
(thoroughly heated through, so as to check decomposition) and warmed when wanted. Secondly, never allow
any to be used (unless Muslirooms for ketchup) when the larva of insects appear on cutting them across,
for then, although the nicety of appetite should not revolt, they are undergoing an incipient change towards
putrefaction, which is hkely to be prejudicial.

As far as our Ccnitharellus is concerned, it is very persistent, no external signs of decay manifesting
themselves, tiU the plant is much past its prime ; reject therefore tough, flaccid, light specimens, selecting
only such as are crisp and comparatively heavy. These are not of a proper consistence at any time, for
broiling, but must be stewed in gravy or fricasseed.

And now to generabze a little as to cooking these dehcate articles, of whatever species they may be.
When gravy is recommended to stew them in, a clear brown veal gravy, not so much flavoured as to destroy
the native taste of the Mushrooms, is meant. Aspic gravy, as for jelly, is a very agreeable medium if the
acid flavour is not disUked. When to be fricasseed, a dehcate white sauce mildly seasoned is the vehicle ;
in either case after washing and removing the stems, reduce the subjects to one uniform size, by cutting
across j put the pieces into a closely covered saucepan, with a little fresh butter, and sweat them ; (this is a
term in cooking for which even Mons. Ude could find no elegant substitute ; it means that the substance
being gradually and gently warmed, should part with its own watery juices, while imbibing the butter) ;
take them out, wipe, and either stew in gravy or fricassee them till tender ; this must be done at the lowest
possible temperature, many of the most exquisite Funguses losing their volatile flavour under the action of
great heat.

' " Man pflegt diesen Scliwamm aller Orten zum Gebrauclie der Nabrung anzuwenden, und es ist nock kein
Beyspiel bekannt, dass je ein Mensch dm-ck ilin oder a ucli durch eine Verweckskmg mit demselben vara yergiftet
worden." — I. c. p. 98.

p4

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O
CD

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CO
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Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate V.

BOLETUS SUBTOMENTOSUS,

Gen. Char. Hymenium distinct from the substance of the pileiis, consisting of cylindric separable tubes. Spores
oblong. Boletus, — from /SiXos, a ball, from tbe rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Cliar. B. subtomentosus ; pUeus pulvinate, diy, subtomentose ; tubes adnate, large, angular, simple, pale
yellow ; stem, fii'm, even.

Boletus subtomentosus, LinntBus, Berkeley, Fries, Greville, Persoon, Purton, Tratlinick.
Boletus cupreus and crassipes, ScJtceffer.
Boletus chrysenteron, Withering, Bidliard.
Boletus sanguineus, Withering.

Hah. Borders of woods, and particularly imder oalis in parks, in sub-alpine districts. Summer and early
Autumn.

Cylindrical tubes, nearly parallel with the stem, contain the spores of the Boletus in place of the horizon-
tally plaited membrane which forms the gills of an Agaric. These tubes are, hke gills, of a different substance
from the pHeus, and may be easily pulled away from it ; as gills are sometimes simple and sometimes forked,
so the tubes are either simple or branching into several orifices (compound), which is ascertained by making
a section of them.

The Boletus is the SuiUus of the classics, the Porcino of modern Italy, the Cepe or Potiron of France,
and the Toadstool, ];jar excellence, of England. The stuffed cushion-like (pulvinate) pileus appearing to
vulgar eyes fitting thi'one for such occupant as the " loathely paddock "; who, poor thing, if he ever did
venture on so much assumption, would be Likely to topple down from " shppery places " as higher ambition
does. It must be confessed that some of the Boletus tribe require the enthusiasm of a devotee to transform
them into touchable objects ; but tliis is not the case with the individual now selected, which has notliing
repulsive, if notliing strikingly beautiful about it; and is sufficiently distinct in character to be easily
recognized.

•Boletus siiUomentosns is so named from the minute down which covers the pileus, giving it the texture
of a Limerick glove ; it is not glutinous in any stage of growth ; the size is variable, but averages two inches
across ; the shape irregular, inclining as frequently to the square as to the circle, resembling a stuffed pin-
cushion ; it is frequently cracked in a tessellated maimer, but never scaly. The colour varies, the ground
shades being pale olive or yellowish, but the sun gives the exposed parts a red blush, as it does to a peach.
The pores, or orifices of the tubes, resemble pale yellow sponge, and are much larger in proportion to the
plant, than in many of the gigantic species ; where the fingers bruise them they turn blue-green, so do the
tubes in making a section ; and the flesh, which is yellowish wliite, becomes blue as the air acts upon it, but
fades again. The tubes are simple, the third part of an inch long, adnate to the stem, or subdecurrent,

F

running a little down it ; the spores pale drab-colour. The stem is from two to three inches high, and halt'
an inch or an inch thick ( in which proportions it differs from most of the species, which generally have very
clumsy stems), it is smooth, firm, streaked with red, seldom quite straight, being scarcely ever solitary, but
growing in pairs or even threes, so as to force the stems out of the perpendicular. The Boletus san-
guineus of Withering, is only a peculiarly crimson state of this Fungus, forming a variety which may
mislead the inexperienced, (and indeed he considered it a novelty), but haraig no essential botanical
distinction, mere colour not being allowed to be such, since we talk of a white pink, and wliite roses,
as well as deep purple ones. The accidents of soil, exposure to sun, or want of it, cause svich differences
in the mere external appearance of all Boletuses, as are well calculated to try the powers of observation
possessed by the student. Sometimes in age they are completely over-run with another species of minute
Fungus, Sepidmiium chrij&ospermum, which veils the whole plant and penetrates to its very heart, converting
it into a mass of golden dust, tlds dust consisting entii-ely of spores ; similarly enveloped in a white
parasitic garb, an " old friend may present itseK in an entirely new dress "; indeed, dm-ing the past siunmer
and autumn, those of 1847, so rapid was the developement of aU Fungus gTowths, that it was rare to find
the Boletus tribe in perfection, they were water-soaked like full sponges, and rapidly became the prey of the
various Mucors, which attacked them ; to prepare such specimens for keeping was impossible, as they not
only contained a most miusual quantity of Immichty, but abounded in weather when the humidity of the
atmosphere precluded their drying, gi^^ng a Uvely impression of the difficulties attending the formation of
a horttis siccus, in Brazil, complained of by Mr. Gardner.^ The Bolettis sanguineus is not recommended
for the table even abroad^ and should be shunned in England as doubtfid at least. Any unwholesome
qualities of the tribe in general, however, appear to be fugitive, and lost in drying. Pliny says they shoidd
have rushes passed through them, and be suspended in the air ; thus preserved they are an article of
consumption in Italy, where no species is rejected; and they are in constant demand as a marketable
commodity, so that collecting and preparing them employs many hands.

Old Gerarde, in speaking of Funguses, says, "many wantons that dwell near the sea, and have fish at
will, are very desirous for change of diet, to feed upon the birds of the mountains ; and such as dwell upon
the hills or champain grounds, do long after sea fish ; many that have plenty of both, do hunger after the
earthie excrescences called Mushrooms." It is notorious that the skill of cooks has ever been taxed to
invent fast-day substitutes for flesh, when fish paUs on the dainty appetite, and what so like a veal cutlet as
the tender and deHcate Boletus edulis ? Agaricus deliciosus cannot be distinguished from a savoury kidney
when similarly served up ; and not to multiply examples, as all will be noticed in the proper place, there can
be no doubt that in Roman Catholic countries the edible funguses are a most grateful addition to meagre
diet. For the invalid, restricted to a wearisome monotony of light messes, in wliich meat may form no
part, a change is suggested which many wiU be thankful for. Probatmn est.

Take a smaU quantity of parsley and sweet herbs and if not medically prohibited, a Httle carrot, scald
them in boiling water, and tlu'ow it away, as putting butter to them may be objectionable, then add a
little sugar, and as much mushroom ketchup as gives a pleasant flavour of soup, thicken it with arrowroot,
so that it will hang a little to the spoon, and throw some dice of toasted bread into it.

All weak mutton or chicken broths are much improved by ketchup, but it is a hazardous article to
purchase.

' " Travels in the Interior of Brazil, principally tkrough the Northern Provinces and Gold and Diamond
District, dmlng the years 1836-1841, by George Gardner, F.L.S." The naiTative of an inteUigent naturahst whose
heart was in his occupation.

n

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c
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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate VI.

POLYPORUS INTYBACEUS, Fries.

Gen. Char. Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores, with tliiu
simple dissepiments. Polyporus, — from nokvs, many, and nopos, s.pore.

Spec. Char. P. intybaceus ; Very much branched, each division of the stem terminating in a dimidiate pileus from
a half, to one inch and a half broad, rugose, downy, brown-grey, more or less zoned ; pores white, turning
ochre-brown when bruised, extremely shallow, not decm-rent. Forming tufted masses form one to two feet
across, and about eight inches high. August and September.

PoLYPOKUS intybaceus, Fries.

PoLY'PORUS frondosus, ScJirank, Klotzsch, Berkelei/ in JSng. Flora.

Polyporus frondosus, bouquet des CJiines, and Polyporls multiconcha, Polypore coquiller, Paulet.

Boletus frondosus, Tolypore en houqnet, Persoon.

Boletus frondosus, Sowerbi/ {not of IFithering).

Hah. In tirrf at the foot of ancient oaks, but not growing immediately from the wood.

The ancient forest districts known as tlie Vosges and Ardennes, ^^roduce abundantly this peculiar and
beautiful fungus ; there the grey " cock of the woods " still crows iir undisturbed regahty, and from the
resemblance Polyporus intylaceus, seated among the grass at the foot of a tree, bears to his wife wlule she
is brooding over their progeny, it is not unaptly called " La poule qui couve ;" but we must by no means
confound our " conveuse," the grey grouse hen, with the flaunting belles of the farm-yard ; sober grey-brown,
reheved with zones of a deeper shade, is the only colour the pileus ever displays, wliile the under surface is
snowy-white, hke the bird's down, when she angrily elevates her feathers.

In England this plant is rare, and apparently not so luxuriant in its development as in Hungary, and the
Ehenish forests, where it attains an immense weight ; but it is so firm and compact that the relative bulk is
not as great as might be expected. The accompanjing drawing is the precise size of a specimen which
weighed nearly six pomids ; it consisted of tliree "bouquets", united at the roots, and deeply imbedded in
turf, at the foot of an ancient oak. Considered separately, each bouquet is arranged iu the rosette style,
and consists of a great number of petal-hke fronds, growijig out of, and " their bases confluent with, the
compound stem" (Fries), in common parlance, "like a cauliflower." The minor stems are convex on the
under, and fiat on the upper sui-face, with a central depression from the dimidiate terminal fronds i; they
are perfectly smooth and free from pores, wliich appear only on the under side of the pileus, and are mere
depressions in the substance of the hymeuium, not the oi-ifices of tubes which this Fohjporus does not pos-
sess, even in old age.

Paulet, whose figure is extremely good, thus describes his "Coquilles en bouquet." "These plants are
very remarkable from the number of their pilei {chapitemix), disposed on a single foot, hke shells, one over
the other but without toucliing each other ; also by the size and weight of the plants, sometimes above forty

' Persoon says that Boletus ramosissimiis of Jacquin and Sclioeffer, differs fi-om our present subject iu the
pileus not being dimidiate ; dimidiate means proceeding from one half of the stem ; not growing aU round it.

pounds, so that one will suffice for the repast of a numerous family. It represents a small bush garnished
\nth shells, about fifty shells on the same stem, the entire plant being a foot across, and nearly as much high ;
one homogenous substance, the flesh very white, firm and brittle. The under side of the shells appears pricked
with a piu and ' crible de petit pores ', which are not deep, but very apparent ", (Traits des Champignons)
Paulet. On account of the large size of these pores, Fries calls our present subject P. intyhacem to distin-
guish it from a variety mth small ones, for which he retains the ridme J^rondosus ; the latter is at present
unknown iii England. Some confusion exists between this and P. giganteus, but they can scarcely be mis-
taken for each other when living specimens have been compared. The synonymes given by Persoon, etc.,
are confused, and therefore in the present case none are admitted that are not undoubtedly correct. The
figm-e in Sowerb/s Fungi is very unhke nature : a rare fault in that moimment of patient industry.
Withering's Boletus frondosiis is probably Polyporus giganteus ; by giving a portrait of the latter shortly, and
pointing out the differences between it and the present subject, inexperienced collectors may be guarded
against mistake ; at present one important difference will suffice.

On removing the grass-roots &c., it wiU be found that the blunt solid stem of P. intyhaceus is carried
up two inches or more, and quite clear of them, before it begins to ramify ; this is shown in tlie section, and
is a distinction peculiarly belonging to tliis plant, for though P. giganteus has many large leaf-like divisions
proceeding from a common centre, they are not " confluent with a common stem " , as is the case here.
P.gigantexis also will be found to proceed directly fi'om decaying stiunps, whereas P. intyhaceus has no decided
connection with them.

No fungus is more higlily esteemed as an article of food than tliis. Eaten raw, the taste is very agree-
able, but it leaves a sUght astringency upon the palate. The directions for cooking the Cantharelhs apply
strictly to it ; but possessing no peculiar flavour, which would suffer by foreign admixture, a bouquet of fine
herbs as for omelettes, may be added to the gravy. It is usually fricasseed, with some eggs in the sauce, and
must be a very desirable fast-day dish. It may however be noted, that whereas in eating most funguses,
we select the pileus, and throw away the stem, in the present case the choice is reversed, the fronds, at least
then- extremities, should be trimmed off, and the solid white stems sent to table. The accounts handed
down of funguses which were a load for a wain, apply, not to such as have a central stem surmounted by a
single pileus, ' mushrooms ' so monstrous could have suited none but Titanic feasts, but to this Polyporus or
some of its congeners, consisting of a "buisson", as Paulet styles it, of " cJiapifeaux" .

s

pq

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate VII.

BOLETUS LURIDUS, ^^^.^.Fries.

Crimson-pored Boletus.

Gen. Char. Hymenium distinct from the substance of the pileus, consisting of cylindric separable tubes.
Spores oblong. Boletus, — from /SwXos, a hall; from the rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Char. B. luridus, var. 0; "Pileus thick, pulvinate, soft, smooth, glaucous buff or whitish; tubes
yellow, their orifices minute, unequal, sanguine-red, rarely orange-red ; stem short, ventricose, stout, reticulated with
yellow and red ; Jksh changeable, turning blue ; taste sweet.

"Boletus luridus, /3. Fries.

" rubeolarius, ^ sanguineus, Persoon.

" Satanas, Leny.

" marmoreus, Roques.

" SatanspUz, Blutpilz. Pileus eight inches or more across, pulvinate, soft to the touch, naked, dry, in damp
weather slightly viscid, smooth, seldom rough ; wrinkled, tessellated in diy weather ; whitish, leather-buff, or
greenish, often shading into a red tinge. The flesh is solid, becoming soft, tender aud juicy, from one to two
inches thick, white, when broken turning first reddish, then blue. The mass of pores is in youth very shallow,
afterwards deep ; iu the early stage they are yellow, then orange-red deepening to dark cardinal-red orifices ; they
separate easily from the pileus, and are dark blue when broken ; they are not half as deep as the thickness of the
flesh. The steai is without a veil, two or three inches high, thick, stout, nearly bulbous, often pressed flat or
squared, often swelling out in the middle (ventricose), smallest above ; yellow, blood-red or pm-ple-red, seldom pale
or rose-red, finely reticulated above, the reticulations pui-ple-crimsou, often vanishing iu age, the stem gi-owing
streaked below. It differs from the common B. luridus in the shape of the pileus, and in the fine network of the
stem' ' . — Kromhhoh.

Hah. In pastures under oaks ; summer and autumn.

The Boletus family appears to have been less examined and described than any other division of the Pileate
tribes ; it seems therefore advisable to bring forward the most interesting subjects that have come under
our personal observation, and whenever they can be thorougldy indentified \dth foreign illustrations, particu-
larly the superb and laborious ones of Ivrombholz, a step wiU be gained in ascertaining the number of Enghsh
species. The Boletus luridus of Schoeifer, of wliich Fries considers our present Satanspdz a variety, is
common in England, but few persons probably have seen the magnificent Fungus, which bears this German
name of terror. It is certainly nearly allied also to B. erythropus of Fries, but Krombholz points out dis-
tinctive characters in aU three wliich will scarcely allow of their being the same plant ; a portrait of the un-
doubted B. luridus of SchccfTer (and the EngUsh Flora) as well as one of B. erythropus, shall shortly be
presented, when by comparing the tlu-ee it may be possible to determine whether they are distinct individuals
or the same, in masquerade habiUments. All will surely agree that had the description of Krombholz,
which we have adopted, beer, drawn up to suit the portrait, it could not more correctly have appHed to it ;

and although for the sake of consistency in nomenclature we adhere to that of Pries, sanguineus is certainly
a far better designation than the one inscribed beneath it. The particular Fungus from which this drawing
was made grew in Hampshire^ near Avington, a soil and chmate which are particularly favourable to their
developement ; in full maturity the mass of tubes becomes much deeper, and more convex ; the whole
Boletus darker than in the plate, which is of mediiun age and its spores have not as yet distended the tubes,
nor coloured them, as they do in ripening.

It would be rash to try experiments upon Satanspilz as an article of consumption ; we have never
eaten it. Its relative, B. limdiis, is decidedly poisonous ; neither of these fortunately can be confounded
with the esculent Boletus, which at no period has the sHghest red, among its various shades of colour.

At the risk of being charged with repetition by the learned, it will be better for the ignorant that the
Boletus of modern Mycology should have its peculiar characters again defined, more particularly as the
student, if the library at his command contain any works upon the subject at aU, will be certainly puzzled by
finding that Withering, Sowerby, Purton, Eelhan, &c., in short all our EngKsh authorities, with the exception
of Gray and of Mr. Berkeley's contributions to the ' English Flora ', wliich are conformed to Fries' ' Systema
Mycologica,' follow Linnteus, and unite Polyporus, &c., with Boletus. The following extract, therefore, from
Vittadini, can scarcely be deemed superfluous. " All those Funguses with soft flesh, are called Boletuses, wliich
have the under surface of the cap covered with vertical, cylindrical, or angular (pohedri) small tubes ; slightly
connected viitli each other, and with the substance of the cap ; open below, and internally lined with a
fructiferous membrane. The Boletuses have a central stem, often reticulated ; the cap always horizontal,
determinate, particularly fleshy, hemispherical or plano-convex. Many among them are furnished with a
partial veil more or less apparent.

******

" Linnaeus under the generic name of Boletus assembled promiscuously, all the fleshy, coriaceous, or
corky Funguses provided with tubes or pores. Schoefi'er, BuUiard, Persoon, and many other distinguished
botanists followed his example; whereas Fries in his 'Systema,' follofl-ing the steps of DiUen and MicheH,
retained, under the name of Boletus, only the soft-fleshed species, having tubes connected together, that is,
the true SuiUi of the ancients, strikingly illustrated by that same Florentine mycologist (Micheli) and he
(Fries) comprehends the others in the genera Polyporus and Fistulina".'

Vitt. Descrizione dei Funghi Mangereoci. Page, xxxvii.

pc:

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate YIII.

AGARICUS SQUAUROSUS, M.

Series Derminus.^

Spores feiTuginous : veil uot arachnoid.

Sub-genus Pholiota.^

Snh-fjen. Char. Pholiota; veil dry, forming a ring ■wliich is sometimes membranaceous, sometimes radiato-
floccose. Stem more or less scaly. Pileus convex, at length more or less plane, not umbilicate. GUIs unequal,
juiceless, changing colour. Spores femigiaous or fulvo-ferruginous.

Spec. Char. Ag. sarAEROSUS ; caespitose, pileus fleshy, dry, bright femiginous-saffron or tawny yellow ; scales
close, revolute ; gilh paUid olive then ferruginous, broad, adnate or subdecurrent ; stem squarrose, attenuated below
pithy in the centre ; covered with reflexed scales below the ring, abo\'e it smooth and pale.

Agaeicus squarrosus, MiiUer, Persoon, Fries, Berkeley.

floccosus, Sclueffer, Sowerhy, Purton, &reville.

La coulemeUe herissee, Paulet.

Hub. In dense tufts on, or at the root, of trees ; autumn.

Those mclanclioly persons in wlioni Funguses produce disgust, would feel an instinctive dread of the
one now represented ; thrusting forth a snaky mass of heads fi'om the stump of a decaying tree, with strange
flexuous serpentine stems, and bristling scaly coat, it is a decidedly repulsive individual. Tasso's description
of the serpent which attempted to deter Charles and Hubert from their cjuest of Einaldo, in the enchanted
island of Armida, may be applied very appropriately to the Agaric we are now considering.

" Ma esce, non so donde e s'attraversa
Fiera serpeudo on-ibile, e diversa.

Innalza d'oro squallido squamosa

Le creste, e'l capo ; e gonfia il collo d'ira :

*****

*****
Or rientra in se stessa, or le nodose
Kote distende, e se dopo se tira."

La Gerusalemme Liberata, Canto XV. 47.

Sm-ely tliis is as fit associate for witches, bats, and owls, as any of its brethren can be, and its " very
ancient and fish-like smell," by no means improves the impression received through the sight. It grows at
the root of ancient trees in general, though sometimes liigher up in the cavities of the decaj-ing trmiks.
From one central point a tuft of stems proceeds, united at the base, where they are attenuated and compressed
into a very dense mass ; as the plant extends, they become variously bent from their direct course of growth,

' From bipfia, skin, or membrane. ^ From ^oXW, a scale.

the expansion of the stronger members of the family pushing the weaker aside. The fully matured pileus is
from one to five inches across, firm, cojivex, then expanded, obtusely umbonate (like the boss of a shield,
umbo). It is never glutinous or slimy. Tlie colour varies, from ta-miy to bright yellow, and the wliole plant
partakes of the same Ime. The pileus retains the remains of the veil, in the form of tufted dark scales, which
are recurved, giving it a bristling appearance.

The affinity of Agaricus sqiiarrosus, as far as configuration goes, is Mith the Lepiofes {Aff.2:)rocen(s, &c.)
but the colour of the spores removes it into a different subgenus, Pholiota, also scaly, but having rust-coloured
dust instead of wliite. If tliis distinction is attended to it wiU prevent any confusion with Ar/. melleus
"(Les tetes de Meduse,"Paulet) some states of wliich at fii'st sight resemble the smoothest forms of Ay.
sqiiarrosus. The Agaricus melleus is a verj^ common and in no way attractive kind ; in spite of its honeved
name it is very deleterious, which the more formidable looking Ag. squarrosiis is not, according to M. Paulet,
who benevolently tried his "Tigre des Arbres," herisse as it was, upon himself, for the good of the rest of
mankind, and happily survived the experiment. It seems superfluous to say that we do not recommend it
to the fancier of Funguses.

The plate is a striking resemblance of Agaricus squarrosus, which, if it always had characters so marked,
could never be confounded with any other species, it is however very variable. We have already cautioned
the student how to distinguish it fi-om the wliite spored Zejjiofes, but there are some individuals of the genus
Ki/pholoma, series Pratella, wliich, growing in a caespitose mamier at the root of trees, (one of them, Ag.
fascicularis, at the bottom of almost every post,) and being to boot yellow and bitter, it may be as weU to
discriminate from our Hydra friend squarrosus, the more so, as the term "Tetes de Souffre", or "Tetes de
Meduse ", or many other " Tetes " are mentioned in the French authorities we often quote.

In the subgenus Pholiota then, as in Lepiota, the veil is tlirowu over the head of the plant, and attached
to the lower portion of the stem; it consists of a tenacious persistent membrane. In Cortinaria and
Hypholoma, there is a veil also, but instead of being tenacious and persistent, it consists of arachnoid threads,
a warp -n-ithout a woof, a gossamer garment which is lost altogether by wear and tear, as the plant increases
in bulk. Other funguses ai-e veiled in slime, which renders them unpleasant to handle, but has the same
preservative power, to shield the young plant, or rather its fructifying membrane, that the woven veils possess.

To return to Pholiota, if we put an umbrella into a case, which is fastened round the stick, ^-e have no
bad illustration of Ag. squarrosus, or any other of that genus, wrapped in its ved, which is attached to the
stem. Suppose tlien that the umbrella were actuated by expansive growth in every du-ection, while the case
remained on, the movement outward of the circle in wliich the whalebones are stitched would rupture this
confining case, at the points where the pressure was greatest, and part would remain attached to the stick, by
the cord which confined it originally, the rest forming slireds on the outside of the umbrella. K"ow tlie part
attached to the stick, answers to the persistent ring of the Agaric, closely affixed to the stem before the
expansion of the pileus. The shreds on the outside streaming from the apex of the umbrella, are the scales
or the shaggy coat of the pileus, dense at top, where the force to divide and rupture was small, wide apart
and ragged below, because the greatest dispersion is at the greatest circumference ; also the upward growth
of the pileus, carrying its case with it, ruptures it both ways, horizontally as well as vertically, and thus we
have scales. These explanations apply only to those Cortinarious tribes which are destitute of the true veil,
or enveloping membrane fastened under the root, which, when ruptured, leaves a volva.

^

^

Pi

o

Pi

h

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe CJavati.

Plate IX.

MITRULA PALUDOSA, i^/..

Marsh Mitrula.

Gen. Char. Receptacle ovate, inilated, closely suiToundiiig with its base the distiiict stem. Name from the
receptacle resembling a Utile mitn.

Spec. Char. M. paludos.v ; gregarious, cap variable in form, sometimes cloven, hollow, bright orange yellow ;
stem white; a-sci tubular ; sjwridia white.

Mitrula paludosa. Fries, Berkeley.
Leotia Ludwigii, Fersoon.

uliginosa, Greville.

Clavaeia phalloides, BulUard.

epiphyUa, Dickson, Witherimj, Soioerby.

Hah. On dead leaves in bogs or shallow stagnant water ; autumn.

This pretty little plant, altliough the first we introduce to our fi-iencls of the second di^nsioii, the
Clavate tribe of Funguses, is not to be taken as an example of the club-shaped forms assumed by many
members of that family, and from wliich their name is derived. Mitrula paludosa has a weU-defined inflated
head, placed upon a cyHudrical stem, but the true character of Clavaria is to have no distinction between
head and stem, merely a thickening upwards, equally differing from the Pileati on one hand, as from the
Mitrati on the other. It is not to be expected that every character of a tribe can apply with precision to
each branch of it, that certain botanical features sliould be coromon to all, is sufficient. One main distinction
of the Clavate family is the situation of the hymenium, or that part of the plant which contains reproductive
bodies, appearing in the form of dust. In the Pileati this property is placed under the pUeus or cap, and
is called inferior ; in the Clavati it is superior ; that is, lies externally upon the head," and on placing any
coral-formed specimens of Clavaria upon a plate of glass, their various ramifications will be prettily traced in
the ejected spores. The briglit yellow mitre of om' present subject, becomes covered as it matures with a
Tvhite^ bloom ; tlais consists of sporidia packed in cases (asci), but the naked eye does not distinguish the fact.

That Nature abhors a vacuum was a pruiciple of old plulosophy wliich was certainly correct in so far

' From clava, a club.

^ It is usual to speak of this head, the clava, as a pUeus, which is a head-coveriug ; extreme precision of tei'ms may
appear needlessly formal, but it assists the student, and if the term ' pQeus ' is the distinctive appellation of a tiibe,
it should be restricted to that tribe. The Mitrati have caps also ; to call them ' pilei ' leads to confusion of ideas.
It woidd not do to talk of the ' mitre ' of an Agaric ; why, then, of the ' pileus ' of a MorcheUa ? With a Clavaria
it is still less proper, since, although that Fungus posesses a head, it has neither cap nor bonnet to put upon it.

as she abhors idleness, for tlie moment the business of life is finished for one thing, even in its dying \reakness,
its place is taken by another, and tliis goes on till the succession of active energies has produced a residuiun fit
to nourish the giants of vegetation over again. But IVatm-e does more than turn every tiling to account, slie
adorns and beautifies wlule so doing ; the dead leaf floating on the dirty pool becomes the seat of beautj-, tlie
golden Mitre with its pure glassy stem, embeUisliing those sombre hues, and reflecting briUiancy on the dull
4quid below, wlule abstracting the substance needful for its own nutriment, by the fibres wliich decompose
the defmict leaf into vegetable mould.

Our little plant is not common, it is foimd attached to dead leaves, in bogs or shallow stagnant water,
or among deposits of decaj'ing fohage, when tlu'ouglily soaked with rain. The stems resemble undulating
pipes of delicate glass, are very fragile, and sustained erect hke masts by minute cottony fibres runnhig among
the leaves wliich form the raft ; there are frequently many together, but no two of precisely similar con-
figuration as regards the head, except that it is always hoUow, forming a chamber at the extremity of the
tubular stem ; for the most part it contracts at the lower part, like the head-circle of a coronet, and tightly
holds the inserted stem. There is, as Bulliard obsen'es, a general resemblance, on a very minute scale, to
the edible Morel, Morchella esculenta, which belongs to the tlurd tribe designated Mitrati, from Ilitra.
"The Mitre, properly so called, had below a flat border, wliich surrounded it, and covered a part of the
forehead, whence it was elevated in form of a cone and ended in a point." ^ Tliis is the original from wliich
oui- Bishop's Mitre has been modified, and is the model of the Mitrati ; it will be allowed that om' Fungus is
fairly enough styled Mitrula or diminutive Mitre, but must not be confomided with the Classic headgear
called Mltrella, wliich, Fosbroke says, was that very unclassical article a "mob-cap", the feminine form,
\ritli lower crown, and descending lappets capable of being united below the clun, of the Phrygian cap in wliich
Paris looks so picturesque ; om' labourers stiU wear it, though with a very different grace, and the Welch
Mitrula was donned by " Eebecca and her daughters," being the usual cap of their countrywomen.

Tlie " bonnet rouge " carries us back involuntarily to that era of popular fiuy when it became so terrible
an ensign; it seems to us that men could have had no time for Agarics, when revolutionary commotion
surrounded them ; the mind is so engrossed by prominent objects of horror, that we can scarcely imagine a
back ground where iiuioceiit piu'suits could be carried on, and peaceful occupations pursued ; so however it
was ; the stormy tide raged round the opposing rocks, there was " distress and perplexity, the sea and the waves
roarmg," but those who kept themselves aloof in placid bays and recesses where the stiU waters rippled
quietly, carried on as usual their unpoHtical studies. " Le citoyen Paulet " collected funguses, and very
seldom kflled the dogs he crammed i^itli them, he only made them rather uncomfortable for a few hours
" etonues " as he expresses it, with the effect of the strange food administered. TVe are in truth ourselves
"etounes" to read that in 179-3, a book of tliis kind (Ti-aite des Champignons) could be published at
"I'lmprimerie Nationale executive du Louvre"; the next feehng is that the National executive is thereby
redeemed from a portion of om- disgust, all that they printed was not in blood.

' Fosbroke, Ency. of Antiquities.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate X.

MERULIUS TREMELLOSUS, i^n..

Gen. Char. Hymenium veiny or sinuoso-plicate ; folds not distinct from the flesh of the pUeus, forming unequal
angular or flexuose pores. Named from Merula, a blackbird.^

Spec. Char. M. tremellosus ; resupinate, then free or reflexed, trembhng-fleshed {carnoso-tremeUosus), downy,
white ; margin dentato-radiate ; folds porous, various, ruddy, spores yellowish white. " The form is deceptive,
being pale in obscure places, but is immediately identified by its gelatinous cartilaginous substance. Mendius
spongiosus differs from it in having the pUeus shaggy and spongy, in other respects they exactly agi-ee." (Fries.)

Hah. The foot of trees late in Autumn.

Although this Fungus appears to be common in Germany, it is not described by any of om- English
authors, unless by Mr. Berkeley recently, ^ nor is there any plant noticed by the French or Italian Mycologists
with wliicli it can be identified. Its aiSiiity, at first sight, is -with PJdeMa mesenterica , but the ciuious basket-
work of its reticulated hymenium distinguislies it from that plant, the Phlebia being smooth, or shghtly
wi'inkled iu cb-jing. From the Thelexjlioras, and indeed from all the various sections formerly included under
the generic name Auricwlaria (from their resemblance to the ears of animals), it is also distinguished by
tliis membrane, which, in them, is even or papillate, smooth or corrugated, but never complicated into the
elegant mesh-work peculiar to Merid'ms tremeUosus. We have before introduced the genus Mendius in
the individual M. laeJiri/mans, with wliich the casual observer may suppose the present species has little
connection; yet the sheet of pores fr'om wliich the plant extends itself upwards into fronds, is very Kke the
resupinate cellular state of M. lackri/mam, wliich also, in favourable situations wiU form a globular irregular
mass, ajjproacliing to a pileate Fungus in its more commonly received acceptation ; though, be it remembered,
a pileus is not less a pileus, because it Kes on the ground (sessile), or topsy-turvy (resupinate) instead of
being elevated on a post (or stem) .

On first approacliing Mendius tremeUosus, it appears not unlike a buff specimen of Polyporus hdybaceus,
being a complicated mass, similarly situated at the foot of a tree, and quite as much like a domestic fowl
as " La poule qui couve " is to the Grouse. It also in general growth resembles Badalia biennis, which has
a dehcately labjTinthed hymenium, but the Badalia is corky not gelatinous ; we have before remarked the
difference between PJdeMa mesenterica and our Merulins, and by the aid of its portrait, and a precise
verbal description, the student wiU avoid mistake ; it is always satisfactory to determine a species, otherwise
no danger can, in tliis case, arise from error, as none of the plants in question are deleterious, and none
recommended for food. Tliis Merulius then, forms a patch of reticulated pores, entirely resupinate upon the

' Because some of the tribe are black ! But some are yellow ; so whether the bill or the body of the bii'd
suggested this fanciful name, may be decided by those who deem themselves competent.

2 In that part of Lindley's ' Vegetable Kingdom ' devoted to the subject of Mycology, but, being out of print,
I have not seen it.

roots of grass; it soon extends up every stem and blade, in appearance like a brandling madrepore, and
encloses every object, grass, straw, or tvrig, in its stifling embrace ; as soon as it becomes free from the
encumbrance of the grass, which is about two inches from the foundation, it begins to form pileate fronds,
wliich are connected together and confluent in a rosette style. Each pileus is ridged, owing to the plaited
rows of pores beneath ; the disposition of these reticulations, course above course, is very elegant, they do not
extend so far as the margin, wliich consequently incurves and collapses for want of support. The margins
are tiuged with bright rose colour and more or less denticulated (or toothed); the liymenium is flesh-coloured-
bufi', mixed with shades of rose, and when the wlute spores are developed, has a sliot-sUk effect. The upper
surface is tomentose, drab-coloured or bufp when moist, and growing white in drying. The smell when old
is very strong and disagreeable.

The specimen from which the drawing is taken was found among the ancient oaks, wliich sustain and

shelter an innumerable family of dependants of this kind, at the foot of Hayes Common, going towards

Wickham. Fistulina hepatica juts out in scarlet glory from their lunbs ; the soil at their roots is loosened

by thousands of httle congregated brown heads belonging to the excellent Agarims fusijies ; pink, grey, and

buff members of the milky tribes show themselves to the lugliest advantage on the luxuriant carpet of

green moss ; there, are as many Verdettes as the most unreasonable epicure could desire, and Boletus edulis,

large enough to sustain the feast ; there did we once discover an ambitious toad, who, having forsaken liis

legitimate stool beneath, was perched half-way up a tree, upon a carrion-looking Fistulina, which perhaps

had tempted lum thither, but how he got up he never vouchsafed to tell ; in short, from the warm spring

showers to the clully autumn dews, under those picturesque old ruins of the forest, which might have seen

Csesar if ever Caesar had been there, the Mycologist will find a harvest of some kind ; and greatly do the

boys who hunt up the pigs straying for acorns, and the boy who raises his sleepy head from the sheep-dog's

back, wonder why, day after day, Bond-street coats and mushn gowns invade their out-of-the-world sohtudes.

Those noble old trees ! no traveller passes them without respectful admiration, and the spot is sacred to

better things than Agarics ; the roots of the venerable Enghsh Oak go down into the tumulus of some

British chieftain, who looked, in the pride of freedom from liis strong position, over those pleasant expanses

of Kent and Surrej', which perhaps he fell in defending against the invading Ehemi.^ His memory has

perished ; but the name of a greater man, the defender of hberty by that weapon of eloquence which shall

one day supersede the sword, consecrates a younger tree on the brow of the lull. Under it, sat and mused

Lord Chatham ! seeking repose of body and peace of mind after the turmoil of the stormy senate, and the

petty, factious opposition which chafed his patriotic soul, and kiUed him at last. He did not die in " The

House ", as many who look on Copley's noble picture suppose ; they brought him down to his own quiet

Hayes, and there his spirit passed away.

' Keston is known as a Roman station, and called Caesar's Camji, but was first a British strong-hold, of which
the fortiKcations remain in Holwood, or, according to a more ancient speUiug, Holy-wood (the modem park of
Ml-. J. Ward, formerly the favourite home of Lord Chatham's famous son, William Pitt), this is said to have been
the head quarters inland of the Remi, or Rbemi, who shortly preceded the Romans, and were m league ■Kith them.
The last out-post to the east is Fai'n-borough or burg, and to the west extends an elevated table-laud, frequently
scarped, called the War-bank, the terminating ])oint of which is known as War-end, vulgarized into TFarren, hOl ;
this is the site aUuded to above, and it is crowned by Lord Chatham's favourite tree ; wliile half way down is the
Tumulus, on which two oaks of a thousand years are stiU flourishing.

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Order Gasteromycetes.' Suh-Or dev Jn^io^astres.

Plate XI.

TUBER CIBARIUM, ^/^^/.o;7^

T//e Common Truffle.
Family TUBERACE^.

Qen. CJiar. Sporangia membranaceous scattered on the serpentine vein-like hymenium, included in the concrete
uterus.

Spec. Char. T. cibauium ; uterus closed, marbled with veins internally ; sporangia pedicellate, confined to the
veins. " Rough irregidar rounded uodides, from one to two inches in diameter ", black or dark brown, covered
with obtuse polygonal warts, rootless (" at first covered with the thin fibres of the mycelimii ", Corda) then naked
except a little brown Aovra (proJjably the remains of the iiij/cdhiiii) ; inner substance fleshy, pallid, veins at first
white, darkening with age, tortuous ; sporidia echinulate.

Tuber cibariiun, Sibthorp, Fries, Berh., With., Sow., Bull., Fersoon.

Hal). Downs and forest-laud, in pai'ks, under vai'ious trees in rich allu\ial soil ; buried from two to eight inches
deep.

Evelyn in liis diary for 1644, notes — "We got to Vienne in Daupliine * * * here we supped and lay,
having amongst other dainties, a dish of Truffles, an earth-nut found out by a hog train'd to it, and for whicli
those animals are sold at a great price ". Now, as Evelyn was a gentleman brought up in the best society.
Truffles had not become an English luxury, at the date he mentions their appearance at table as a novelty
to him ; it by no means follows, however, that there were then no Truffles in England, but simply that they
had not been commonly found ^; at the present time they would be discovered in many unsuspected
localities if sought for. It has beeu asserted by several authorities that the Truffle is not an indigenous pro-
duction, but that it came to Rushton in Northamptonshire, in the earth attached to the roots of trees,
brought over from Languedoc ; Truffles certainly abound at Blenheim, at Avington, at Audley End, and in
the parks of many of our ancient mansions, which were early embelHshed with transplanted ornaments from
France and Italy, and this gives some plausibility to the opinion ; on the other hand, they are found where
no trees but such as are truly indigenous, come within the limits possible for their propagation.

About the period, however, when Dr. Taucred Eobinson first noticed the Tuber cibarium, 1693*, it
became an imperative fashion for English gentlemen to make the " grand tour ", and thus they doubtless
acquired a taste for ragouts, wliich, not even a transplanted French cook could manufacture without their

' From yas-r^p, the stomach, and ixvKr)s, sl fungus. — Hymenium included.
^ From ayy^iov, a receptacle, and yarrrip, the stomach. — Uterus distinct from the included proper receptacle.
^ The " Tubera minima, nucis magnitudine, coloris purpurei " of Eay, seem to have been the Ttiber cibarium
in a young state ; he does not mention them when mature.

" Phil. Trans. No. 202. p. 824.

chief ingredient, the famous "Truiles d'hiver"; enquiries would be instituted for the delicacy they had now
learned to appreciate, and those "eartliie excrescencies^" wliich to English naturalists had appeared a disease,
"callosities or warts bred in the earth-", and to English sense, "of a rank odour and unsavoury", under
foreign influence, were rescued from the pigs, who for anything we know to the contrary, might have been
seeking them on their own account ever since the days when that careful domesday estimate of English
property was made, in which "pannage for hogs" forms no inconsiderable item.'

The addiction of swine to this delicate food being turned to account by man for liis own benefit, Herr
Krombholz gives amusing directions how to carry on the search ; " You must have a sow of five months
old, a good walker ! with her mouth shut up by a leathern strap ; recompense her for the Truffles with
acorns ; but as they (pigs) are not easily led, are stubborn and go astray and dig after a thousand other things,
there is but little to be done with them * * * dogs are better, of them, select a small poodle."

Fosbroke says, " About forty years ago "Wmiam Leach came from the West Indies with some dogs
accustomed to hunt for Truffles, and proceeding along the coast from the Land's End in Cornwall to the
mouth of the river Thames, determined to fix on that spot where he found them most abundant. He took
four years to try the experiment, and at length settled at Patching (near Aiundel co. Sussex) where he
carried on the business of Truffle hunter till his death".

The nature of the soil Leach thus selected for the field of his labours, is precisely that wliieh the
continental authorities point out as most favourable to the growth of the Truffle ; a rich mixed alluvium.
" It prefers clay mingled with sand and ferruginous particles, and requires the earth to be rather porous,
that heat and moisture may easily penetrate" (Persoon). It is commonly supposed in England that the
Truffle is produced exclusively under beech trees, and this erroneous opinion prevents its being sought
elsewhere, although its habitat is ((uite as often beneath other trees. " Its darling abodes are hilly, shadowy
yet light, and lofty woods of chesnut, oak, and beech ; never in pine forests ; among soil formed of decayed
vegetation, in dyke-earth mixed with sand, in open woodland districts where rain and worms act* easily;
damp warm summers are most favourable". It must be remembered that when foreign authorities cite
" woods" as the habitat of funguses, they do not mean the close impervious copses, matted \Tith coarse grass,
briars, &c., and rank with decajing vegetation, English underwoods, sacred to Pheasants ; but those forest-
glades which the deer may haunt, without fear of entangling their antlers, nregidarly canopied by trees of
lofty bole, "de la haute futaie" ; such spots as the lover of the picturesque finds in our New Eorest, and the
"melancholy Jacques" reposed in, in the fungus-rich Ardennes. It is quite possible to detect the presence
of Truffles by carefully observing such places as are suitable for their growth, the earth being slightly upheaved
and cracked above the " nests " ; when this is the case, their pecidiar smell is very perceptible ; indeed, I am
informed that in Hampsliire, sport is often spoiled by the dogs losing scent of Eeynard as they near these
strongly odorous spots ; perhaps he cuiniingly takes across them ; be this as it may, " the field " on these
occasions does not use strict raycological terms to characterise the Truffles.

Probably twelvemonths are required for the entire developement of the T. clbaritm. In the early spring
it is but a tubercle as large as a pea, reddish or violet colour ; it increases in size but retains the purple hue
till June ; the flesh during this period is quite white ; in this state it is, according to Paulet, the " Tubera
minima nucis magnitudine, coloris purpurei " of Ray ; in July it becomes externally grained and rough, the

' Gerarde.

2 Such opinious were borrowed from Pliny, and the ancient naturalists wlio considered them a disease,
"tumor terrsB " or " swelHng of the earth ". Pliny, however, divides tubers into two classes, the white and the
black, and describes both as articles for the table.

^ A German critic suggests that perhaps the " Pig-nuts " which Caliban thought so great a dehcacy, were
Truffles, which Evelyn and Posbroke both style " earth-nuts " and not the common Bunium, the earth-mit of our
pastures. This is quite a novel "nut" for the commentators, and ought to be appreciated.

■* Krombholz.

inner substance scarcely marked by the veins ; at wliich period tlie French bring them to market as " Truffes
d'ete "; being however very insipid and indigestible, it is a pity to take them up at that season. They are
excellent for the table from October to January ; black, and covered with bark or rind which is composed of
irregular, angular prominences. On cutting them across the substance resenibles a waxy potatoe, but a maze
of white veins intersects it ; at a later season the flesh grows dusky, and the veins, from the ripening of the
sporidia, dark; soon after tliis the whole substance of the tuber "melts into a kind of pap" (Paulet), and
thus doubtless affords nutriment to the germinating plant till it is able to digest conunoner aliment. But all
this is performed underground, and jSTature keeps back many secrets from the most earnest of mortal inquirers.

The Ti'uifies lie from two to eight inches deep, they vary in size according to the niunber that possess
the parent nest, which is from two or tliree to a dozen ; when there are as many as this their shape is rendered
e.iitremely irregular by reciprocal pressure. Truffles, " as large as a man's head and weigliing one poimd and
a half," (Krombliolz) are unknowii in England, the average size being from that of a nutmeg to a hen's egg.

It is a lucrative business in some districts, for the season begins at " bird-shooting " and lasts till spring,
the produce selling at half-a-crown tlie pound ; it is therefore a cherished trade-secret, and those who follow
it generally seek to mislead the enquiring botanist, believing him to be a rival, and likely to rob them of
their profits. It is said that in Italy and the south of France it may be known where these favourites lie, by
the growth of Cistus Meraria, Linn. It is not an English plant, however, having been introduced by
Miller in 1748.

Of medical properties the Tuber cibarium is probably innocent ; the Tuher ceiTinHiii,^\«^\\ovQ.yces oi
Nees (Fries), \\\Ac\\ Mattliiolus distinguishes as Fungus c-enitiiis, is the plant the old physicians seem to
have had in view in their pharmacies and is the Li/coperdoii, cervlniim of Linnaeus, but the Scleroderma too has
been called L. cervhium, and in some s3aionj'mes is confomided vAi\\ the Truffle. The Li/coperdon Tuler of
Linnaeus, generally quoted as Tuber cibarium, is ElcqjJiomi/ces vmricatus. This is rare in England, so is the
BhizopogoH, or white Truffle. There is no other Fungus that can be confounded ■with the true black
Truffle, Tartufo nero, of Italy ; if the commonest observation is employed, one rule is certain and simple, notliing
is a Truffle that grows in part above ground.

According to the best authorities. Truffles are very wholesome and nutritious. The highest tlavom' lies
in the skin, so that it is wrong to jiare them, they should be merely weU brushed in water. The aroma is
almost entirely lost in drying, they cannot therefore be eaten too fresh, and if sent to a distance should be
closely packed in damp sand. Much disappointment is often expressed that so costly and renowned an
article should be so insipid; it is not o\^dug to any difference of national perception in matters of taste, so
much as to the fact that in England Truffles are comparatively worthless, from behig purchased and used in
a dried state.

They may be stewed in champagne, with a httle oil or butter and pepper and salt ; being tliinly sliced,
they will require half an hour to become sufficiently cooked. A friend, native of that locality, informs me
that simply boiled, the only condiment used being salt, the Tuber cibarium, or Black Truffle, is eaten as a
reUsh with wme at Tanjier, and the neighbourhood; they abound also at Gibraltar, where they may be
purchased at a most reasonable rate, and being carefidly packed in earth have often been transmitted to
London friends, in excellent condition. This hint may serve to direct EngUsli mercantile enterprise into a
new channel, and we do not despair of the Nmnidian Truffle also, wliich the Romans trafficked in as a most
valuable luxury, being introduced at the tables of our modern epiciues, the voyage being quick and certain.

If the earth beneath trees is slightly heaved up and cracked, in the situations and soils wliich have been
mentioned as favourable to the growth of Truffles, it is well worth the trouble of a search to ascertain whether
they are present or not. A strong long-toothed iron rake penetrates deeply enough to extricate them under
such circumstances ; for this hint I am indebted to Mr. Berkeley, and it may be satisfactory to know that
the same great authority prefers them roasted in the embers.

'fmffes a la Marechale. — Paiilet.

Having tliorouglily washed them with a brush, put to each a puich of saU, and the same of black pepper,
A\rappiug them separately in several folds of greased paper, put them into an iron pot or pipkin and cover
them ivith red-hot embers, taking care to envelope them thoroughly by shaking ; let them stand an hour,
and serve, retaining the inner paper-case.

As this mode preserves the skin it appears far better than the simple roasting in embers, wliich is the
usual amateur's mode of cookiug the fresh Truffle ; and most certamly those who only know- the Fungus as
an apiKudage to full-dress calves' heads, will acknowledge they were in perfect ignorance of its true merits
when thev taste it in either of the ways now recommended.

Tlat^XIl

T-R ' iV¥.K iel.

Ag an cus ti ola-ceus , Iiim .

iLeevejimp

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XII.

AGARICUS VIOLACEUS, i;^...

Gen. Cliur. Hymenium consisting of plates, radiating from a common centre, '^vith shorter ones in the inter-
stices, composed of a double closely-connected membrane, more or less distinct from the pdeus. Veil various or
absent.

Series Cortinaria.' Sub-genus Inoloma.^

Suh-cjen. Cliar. Inoloma ; veil fugacious, marginal, consisting of free, arachnoid threads. Stem solid, bulbous
fibrillose, more or less diffused into the pdeus, fleshy. Pdeus fleshy, ciu-ved when young, then expanded, fibrillose,
or viscid, regular. Substance juicy. Gills emarginato-adnexed, broad, changing colour. Colour of the pUeus or
gills violet. Large autumnal Fungi, growing on the ground.

Sjiec. Cliar. Ac. violaceus ; pdeus from three to six inches broad, obtuse, then expanded, villoso-squamose,
obscure violet ; gdls, when young deep violet, nearly black, changing to reddish ochre, distant ; stem four to six
inches high, spongy withm, then hollow, cinereous tinged with black, and stained by the ochi'aceous spores above
the point of attachment of the fugacious ved, when yoimg tomentose, the base bulbous, and covered with white
fibrous down when growing among decaying leaves.

Agaricus violaceus, LinniBits, Withering, Fries, Berkeley, Roques.
araneosus, Bulliard

Hab. Pine groves ; among dead leaves and rubbish in a shrubbery and near veiy decayed compost, not on
recent dunghills. Autumn.

"Le violet Ev&jue" of Paulet, is a strikingly handsome Agaric, not likely to escape notice and
attention, it is, however, rare. The noble plant from wliich the accompanying drawing was made, grew in
Miss Ti'aill's park at Hayes, among sweepings and leaves laid up to decay ; it lias never re-appeared on the
same site. In a young state the pileus is damp (it does not amount to viscidity) and incurved ; a veil of
fragile tlu-eads, called araclmoid because resembling those of a spider, extends to the margin of the pileus,
and is affixed to the stem, forming a delicate screen over the gills tiU the plant is nearly mature ; at which
time it is totally ruptured and dispersed by the expansion of the pileus, except tlie extremities, which
contract upon the stem into a slightly persistent ring, above and upon which the spores are shed ; below, the
stem is fibrillose, so that even ia old age the place of the veil's attachment may be traced. It is necessary
to observe this, because it identifies the Agaric as one of the Cortinarious tribe; Withering says the
fragments of the veil sometimes remain attached to the edge of the cap also ; that the colour of the pileus
varies much with age, losing its lilac and gaining a russet hue. Our Agarics, in their perfection, were
intrinsically dark violet, approaching to black, with a copper gloss over it, an effect very peculiar and

' Prom cortina, a veil ; spores reddish-oehre ; veil arachnoid.
- From (Vfs, a fibre, and XS^a, &. fringe.

difficult to render. They did not readily decay ; had the odour and taste, raw, of the common Musliroom
and became of a particularly rich high flavoui-, cooked. They cannot be caUed hlac at any age or stage, the
" violet eveque " is a much better term, that of the darkest hedge violet, which we too, call ' Bishop's
purple.' This is the colour of the gills before the spores attain maturity, they are ia great quantity, and
therefore the gills "emit a plentiful powder," as BuUiard and Mr. Stackhouse agree; but the latter
gentleman does not correctly discriminate the hue in likening it to " Spanish snulf," it has a redder and more
ochraceous tiage. Paulet, who describes this Agaric very faitlifuUy, failed ui identifying it with any of
those mentioned by his predecessors m that path of study. The Fiolaceus of Sowerby is our Ble^vitt, a
very different species, with paUid brown-buff pileus, shghtly tinged with hlac, and giUs more or less the
same, but, as it sheds a copious wliite dust instead of ochry, no further difference need be pointed out ;
the placing the pileus, giUs downward, on a piece of glass, or smooth black substance, by procuring a
deposit of spores, wiQ give perfect certainty as to whether, on examing any violet or purple Agaric, it is to
be placed under Leiicosponis or Cortmaria.

On cutting Agaricus violacem across, it wiU be found that the flesh, although predominantly wliite,
has a tinge of the external violet, and beneath the epidermis that of the pileus is deeply stained with it.
No Agaric displays better the distinct nature of the membrane the gills are composed of than this, the flesh
of the pileus running down between these folds called giUs, in a very striking manner, and provuig that
" they are not formed, as some have supposed, of layers of the reduphcated seed membrane alone, but by a
prolongation of the fibres of the pileus, wliich these merely invest." (Badham.) The giUs are styled, ia the
series Itioloma, " emarginato-adnexed "; that is, hoUowed out beliind (emarginate), and placed close (adnexed)
to the stem, not united with it. The wliite downy substance investing the bulbous part, must not be
considered as the root of the plant, its use seems to be to attach the taU heavy Fungus to dead leaves, the
earth, and even to small stones, by wliich means it is secui-ed in an upright position.

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Order Hymenojjycetes. Tribe Mitrati}

Plate XIII.

MORCHELLA ESCULENTA, i>fc...

Gen. Char. Keceptacle campanulate and free, or conico-globose and adnate. Hymenium costato-reticulate,
celluloso-lacunose. Asci tubular, containing white or yellowisli simple spores. Name, from the German ' nwrclieV

Spec. Char. M. esculenta ; receptacle ovate or globose, adnate at the base ; ribs firm, irregular, anastomosing
at various angles, forming deep wrinkled cells ; stem cylindrical, short, granulated, white or flesh-coloured ; spores
white.

MoRCHELLA esculenta, Fries, Persoon, Tratt., BerTeeley, Greville, Rogues, Vittadini.
Phallus escidentus, Limueus, Bolt., Withering.
Helvella esculenta, Sowerby, Purton.

Hub. In dry woods and gardens throughout Eiu'ope ; imder elms, near hedges, particularly where charcoal
has been made. Spring.

The Morel was formerly much used and esteemed in England, but of late years has dechned in public
favour ; it is, however, an excellent article of food, and in a fresh state may be ranked with the most dehcate
of the Fungus tribe. Li this coimtry the Morel is far from common, in fact, so httle known, that it has
been mistaken for the Truffle ! probably because they are often mentioned together in old cookery books,
for they do not at aU resemble each other ia external appearance or flavour.

Krombholz says that he procured most of the Morels, which he has described in great variety of form
and colour, from gardens and pine woods, among the fallen leaves and moss. The Scotch Fir, Pinus
sylmstris, is a great patron of Funguses in general, and under its guardian shade we found Morels in Kent,
in May, 18-17. Very splendid specimens appeared simultaneously in the gardens at Wickham Court, and
at Hartwell near Aylesbury, ten days after warm thunder-rains. A favourite site for them is between the
grass-plot and gravel walks ; at this point of junction they fi'equently emerge, the soil being there less
tenacious, and perhaps the flue sand washed from the gravel favours their growth ; which will reconcile the
statements of two differing authorities, one of whom cites ' clay,' the other ' sand,' as their chosen habitat ;
a loose upper surface and heavy sub-soil wiU explain tliis contradiction. It is very certain that by slightly
burning the surface of stumps of the Cob-nut tree, the Itahans produce a dehcate Fungus {Tolyporus
corylinus)^ and in the March of Brandenbm'gh "the industry of many women has gone so far as to set fire
to the woods, in order to get a rich and valuable harvest of Morels".^ Why a process so fatal to vegetable
life in general should produce this result, may be accounted for on the supposition that the wood, under-
going a process to a certain degree destructive to its own vitaHty, is thereby rendered a quiescent nourisher
of the parasite. There is, however, another cause for the Morel flourisliing where woods have been burned,
more plausible than any good effect of the charcoal itself ; we have remarked that it forces its hollow globular
head most readily through the edges of turf and walks, where it meets comparatively httle resistance, and it
is evident that the tangled roots of grass and sylvan plants, must grievously impede the upward growth of a
soft mass three or four inches in diameter ; the action of fire, by leaving the ground bare of vegetation, may
therefore assist the developement of the Morel which is lying below the surface, the charred wood having
no direct influence in the matter. It is probably owing to this compression among roots and obstructions
of different kinds that the common Morel assumes forms so various and irregular ; it often appears lobed,

' From mitra, a cap or bonnet. Eeceptacle buUate or campanulate, placed on a stem. Hjinenium superior.
2 Vide Badham's ' Esculent Funguses of England ', Frontispiece. ^ Krombholz.

twisted in the stem, and contorted into monstrous shapes ; and the size varies extremely ; so that the
inexperienced collector may be greatly puzzled by anomalous forms, which are not truly a different species ;
" Some are more agreeable than others, but none are hurtful," is therefore a comfortable assurance of
Corda's. The mitre of the esculent Morel is never open at the top, unless accidentally cracked ; it is never
free from the stem at the bottom, but gathered ia and fixed closely to it. These distinctions mark it at
once from the Phallus tribe,' wliich have an orifice at top, and from its own congeners wliich are free from
the stem at the bottom.

According to Vittadini, the Morel, in the earliest stage it is met with, is a Httle whitish tubercle,
emerging from an earthy base, clothed with cottony web. The head is smooth at first, showing on the surface
small spots and hnes corresponding to the future cells, which are then closed by the projecting portions
of the ribs ; the stem is early formed and remains for a time sohd, becoming afterwards hoUow or shghtly
stuffed. The entire case of the stem is of a double texture, curiously plaited and gathered ia at the root ;
the external coat ternmiates by bending outwards to connect itself with the margin of the cap ; the internal
one, having first doubled back upon the outer, so as to form a supporting shoulder, passes upwards and
makes the skeleton of tliis honey-combed cap, the cells of which are hned by the coloured hymenium,
between which, in age, the wliite substance of the ribs is very apparent at their angular junctions. The
sporidia are packed one above another in tubular asci, and fly off in jets of dust wliich falls again around
the plant; tliis semiual dust is white or yellowish. The stem and cap form one continuous cavity without
division of any kind, which is generally granulated ia texture, and unequal in surface from the depression
of the deeper cells into it.

Differences of soU, chmate, age, and colour, cause the Morchella esculenta to appear under so many
different aspects, that it is not surprising a number of species have been described, although strict
investigation wiU reduce them to mere varieties ; of these varieties the two selected are, a small specimen of
M. escvlenta very near M. rotunda of Persoon, and M. esculenta, vax-fulva, of Fries. These were found at
no great distance from each other, the latter under the shade of shrubs and Scotch Firs, soHtary ; there was
no grass nor weed near, the earth had not been moved for some years, and was covered vrith minute green
Algae and dead leaves of the Kr. It was extremely persistent, reviving on the apphcation of water after
partial drying, had neither flavour nor scent raw, but was excellent when cooked. It wiU be seen that the
description of Krombholz exactly applies : —

" The hat is oval, fox-brown or brov^l-yellow, the ribs are roundish, but at their places of conjunction,
flat and chaimellcd. The cells are large, irregular, rather long, seldom lozenge-formed, deeply hollowed
out, folded and full of veins ; the whole hat looks swollen, and its base is from two to tlnee times as broad
as the stem, so that the hymenium bends iawards underneath in order to reach the enlarging stem. Tlie
stem is two or three inches high, rather liigher than the hat, widest below, narrowed near the top, above
wliicli narrow place it becomes larger, extending itself in a horizontal direction to meet the edge of the hat ;
it is smooth, white, and tender. The hollow of the hat is large, wide, smooth, except m some unevemiesses
caused by those cells which He deepest ; it joias the cavity of the stem without iaterruption. The substance,
both of the hat and stem, is white, tender, from one to two lines thick, becoming considerably thickened at
the base."

Morels should be gathered in dry weather, after rain or dew they have not so much flavour. Reject
the stems, cut them in equal-sized pieces, well wash and stew them with a glass of hock, as directed for
the Cantharellus. Or they may be stuffed, with bread crumbs, meat, cliicken, shell-fish, &c., finely minced
and seasoned, then wrapped in shoes of bacon and roasted, servmg them in Italian sauce, or any piquant
brown gravy with a Httle Hght wine in it, and buttered toast may be placed beneath them.

' It would have scarcely been needful to have mentioned this, as no one, it is to be supposed, could contem-
plate eating a Phallus imjmdicus ; but a friend, who had been much in Italy, gravely asserting that he had seen
great quantities of it purchased in the markets of Sicily, proved the olfactories are not always to be relied on, — he
mistook the offender for a free -bordered Morel.

in^cvte. jar.

if^

■ V 0

op eTcLon sa,ocai"um , Fries.

OIL stOTie b Heeve Blotter

Order Gasteromtcetes.' Sub-order Trichogastres.^

Plate XIV.

LYCOPERDON S ACC ATUM, i^n..

Gen. Char. Lycopekdon. Peridium membranaceous, with an adnate sub-persistent bark, within furnished at
the base with a spongy sterile stratum. Capillitium unequal.

Spec. Char. Lycoperdon saccatdm. Peridium pulvinate, lentiform, obtuse, depressed, constricted at the
base. Stem tluck, subequal, both the peridium and stem covered with a very thin adnate spinulose bark, that of
the peridium bursting into areolas. Capillitium compact, contiguous ; spores dusky-fuliginous, placed on very
short pedicels.

Ilab. In marshy ground composed of sandy peat, under Scotch Pines. At Keston, Kent, 1840 and 1842.

Tills very singular Lycoperdon was found for the first time in England at the date given above. In
the Autumn of that year it was abundant in one favoured spot, in company with Boletus larkhms and
B. aniiulafus (of Persoon), a favoured spot so far as that mycological treasures were displayed there in variety
and profusion, but notliing else, the scanty grass was too rank and sonr to tempt the cattle, and probably no
foot but that of the inveterate Fungus-hunter invaded the pet nook, lying as it did, with the gloomy shadow
of Scotch Firs to the south, exposed to the bitter North-east, and up to the ancles, when filled with rain,
like a sponge. Improvement came ; an amateur Liebig pared, and bru-ned, and ploughed, and sowed (we
do not know if he ever reaped), the desolation of lois agricidtiu-al mania had blighted our harvest, and tlie
finest crop of corn would have been worse than thorns and tliistles in our eyes.

The Li/coperdon saccatum is a moderate sized Pujf-ball placed upon a tail swoUen stem. In youth the
entire plant appears to consist internally of a homogeneous soft wliite substance, and the division between
the barren stratum forming the top of the stem, and the receptacle of the spores, is not visible ; in a very
short time, however, the fiesh of the stem becomes yellow, the spores grow dark olive, and the whole interiom-
of the head flows out, bursting it irregularly, in the form of a most offensive deep greenish liquid, wluch
carries off not only the spores, but the whole peridium or jjuff-head in one general decaj', after which the
stem, not being hollow, but elastic and spongy, remains long entire, with the barren stratum surmounting
it. So remarkable a Fungus can scarcely be mistaken, indeed no member of the Lycoperdon family at all
resembles it, except a variety of L. gemmatum, the Lycoperdon Proteus of Sowerby, wliich has an elongated
stem ; it is, however, much smaller in all its proportions, and the head is covered with spinulose warts,
neither does it send forth its spores in a liquid as L. saccatum does, but they are discharged from a prominent

' From yasTTJii, the stomach, and jivktis, a, fungus; hymenium included in the receptacle.
2 From 6p\^, a hair, and yasrrip, the stomach ; receptacle filled with floccose hairs on which the spores are
placed.

mouth in jets of dust, the head remaining entire when dry as what is called " a Devil's snuff-box ". It is
probable, judging by analogy, that when in a youtliful wliite-fleshed state Li/coperdon saccafum is edible ; yet
it is so rare iu England that the fact is of little importance. It should, however, be generally known that
Li/coperdon gi/fanteum, (the L. Bovista of Linneeus and of Dr. Badham's " Esculent Funguses of England " )
that immense white ball, as large and larger than a man's head, whicli is so often knocked about in sport
in om- pastm'es, is not only quite safe to eat, but most excellent. The smnmer of 1846 was extremely
favourable to the developement of these giants. One in particular was brought in, extremely irregular from
having been impeded and squeezed among some trunks of felled timber in its first growth, the mass of which
equalled in bulk two quartern loaves, and the follo'wing is the report of aii amateur of Eunguses, and very
good judge of " recherclies " viands in general, " the puff-ball made sucli an excellent omelette and is so
much better than any mushroom I ever before tasted, that it ought not to be called musluroom".

After such testimony from persons who have had fuU experience of their qualities, the innocent and
agreeable PufT-baUs should be no longer left to decay in obscurity, or be destroyed in cliildish wantoness.
Everybody knows them, and as mistake and injmious consequences arc impossible, for no other Fungus can
be confounded with them, we hope our readers will place faith in our assurance and try this receipt for

Omelette of Giant Puff-ball.

They are in a proper state for cooking, when, on cutting across, the interiour is of an uniform pm'e white,
if yeUow stains appear, they are too old. Slice them half an inch thick, have ready chopped herbs, jiepper,
salt, &c., as for an ordinary omelette of eggs, dip the slices of |)uff into yolk of egg and sprinkle the herbs
and condiments upon them, fi-y in fresh sweet butter and let them be eaten immediately. They are much
lighter and more tUgestible than egg omelettes, and resemble brain fritters.

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Order Hymenomycetes.^ Tribe Pileati.'^

Plate XV.

AGARICUS RUFUS, >%oi;

Rufous Milky Ayaric.

Series Leucosporus.* Sub-genus Galoerheus.*

Oen. Clutr. Galoreheus. Veil none. Stem naked, firm, subequal, diiFused into the pileus. Pileus fleshy,
firm, piano-depressed, umbilicate, margin even, when young involute. Gills unequal, often forked, narrow, attenuated
behind, adnato-decurrent. The whole plant abounding in a milky juice. Spores white (buff in A.fuUginostis).
Large or middle-sized, persistent, frequently acrid fungi, growing on the ground.

Spec. Cliar. A. kufl's. Pileus from two to four inches broad, at first more or less umbonate, with a depression
round the umbo, the margin waved, slightly tm-ued in, afterwards expanded and piano-depressed or infmidibuliform.
Dry, adpresso-tomentose, zoneless, dull, uniform bay-red, fleshy, fii-m ; milk white, intensely acrid, not changing.
Gills at fii-st pale, then salmon-buff, deeurrent, narrow, here and there forked. Stem from two to three inches high,
half an inch thick, nearly equal, but contracted at the base so as to be seldom quite perpendicular, extremely fii-m
and elastic, rufescent, stuffed, in age partly hollow, the base downy. In the pine woods of Germany, one of the
commonest Agarics. Fries considers A. hehus the same plant, affected by a different soil, and gives the following
characteristics. " Pileus fleshy, soft to the touch, piano-depressed, dry, sUky-squamulose, zoneless, pallid brick-red ;
stem stuffed, then hollow, pubescent ; gills fine, thick together, ochry white, milk scanty, white, acrid ; the pileus
often cracking, pale and coarse, and the milk watery when growing in marshy places."
Agaricus rufus, ScopvU, Fries, Berkeley.

■ — - ruber, Persoo/i.

helvus, Fries.

Hah. In sandy peat under Seotcli Fnies. keston, Kent ; late autumn. In Hampshire in a similar site.

" The section Lackirlm of Eries, Lactlfluus of Persoon, is perhaps the most naturally formed class of
Agarics ; all that are included in it, beside the milky fluid they contain, possess similar characteristics and
an almost uniform habit ; yet this uniformity of appearance, makes the determination of species extremely
difficult, which, considering tlieir different peculiarities, renders these Funguses not exempt from danger ; to
this may be added the differences of oj)imon prevailing even among mycologists, with regard to the properties
of those individuals, wliich are commonly esteemed among the most innocent ". Tliis opinion of Vittadini,
does not encom-age us in forming the acquaiutance of the class Lactariiis ; but difficulty is a stimulus to
some dispositions, and at any rate if it frighten the student, should induce the teacher to take greater pains.

There is little fear of English folk committing any rashness in respect to Funguses as an article of food,
but it will assist discrimination if the decidedly dangerous are known as weU as the decidedly safe ; besides,

' From vix!]v, a membrane, and ^ivkt^s, a fungus. ^ Yrom piletis, a caj}.

XevKos, white, and (nvopos, a seed. ■* From yoKa, milk, and p/a, to Jhno.

3 From XevKos,

is it uot the duty of a moralist to point out examples to deter, as well as models to imitate ; and of a
taycologist to warn agaist involuntary emetics, as well as to recommend dainty stews ?

The Galorrheiis family are remarkable from containing in the interiour of their substance, a milky liquid
which flows in drops as soon as they are broken or punctured ; this milk varies in colour and quahty ; in
some cases it changes its hue on exposure to the air, thereby staining the Fungus in blotches, where it has
been bruised ; in very di-y weather milk may not exude, and in very wet, it may become attenuated and
watery, but there is only one of the class wliich is always entirely destitute of it, A. exsucciis, and one,
A. Cilicioides in which it forms a " superficial moisture," according to Dr. GreviUe. From their generally
assuming a cup or funnel shape, by which the pileus acquires the capability of retaining rain, the French give
them the title of " water drinkers " " eau-boirout " and " Poivres " on account of the pungency the milk
possesses in many cases ; this pungency however has none of the aromatic agreeableness of pepper ; it is at
first scarce perceptible, but presently burns in the mouth Kke Mezereon berries, or Ewphorbium, and in the
acrid Riifus and its dangerous relatives, becomes insupportably violent ; tliis A. rnfiis, our present subject,
there is only one opinion about, that it is utterly unfit for the table, and when accidentally taken to the extent
of a couple of ounces produced very alarming effects, although timely remedies prevented then pro\dng fatal.
Of the most commonly eaten, A.piperatus, which is largely consumed in Germany, Russia, and some parts of
France, M. Paulet says it has never been charged with homicide, (a virtue in a tribe condemned by such
desigiiations as, Necator, Torminosns, Mcvdner) but he adds with charming naivete "j'avoue que ce n'est
point im met deHcat, il est meme un peu amer, et lourd sur I'estomac." One milky Agaric, A. delicioms,
most "■ venemous " in appearance accordiug to vulgar notions, for it is of a yellow hue, with red milk which
changes to green, is perhaps the best of all the edible kinds and may be safely ventured on, for the very
reason that its pecuhar green stains where injui-ed, distinguish it from all others, it will be hereafter described
at lengtlr, and is the only one of the family we recommend as food.

Is there no use for tliis profusion of deadly Toadstools ? are thousands of beautiful objects strewed
about our paths and disposed in elegant fairy rings under the trees where we are lounging, only to bite our
tongues if we venture to taste them? That Nature does nothing in vain is an axiom further research
always proves we should trust, although at first the utUity of her productions may appear a mystery to our
ignorance. The natural food-growth of Indian marshy ground is rice, but the dry banks around fm'nish the
hot peppers which are wholesome as seasoning. After heavy sununer-rains in England, mpiads of acrid
milky Agarics spring up, in dank woods and situations where malaria produces disease, which it is bv no
means impossible these pepper-mushrooms may be a cure for ; many common medicines would produce, as
much pain, distress and contortion as Agarkus rnfus, if taken in two ounce doses ; a raw Capsicum bitten
carelessly has caused swelling of the lips and face to a fearful extent, yet no one fears to eat them pickled ;
mild, bland arrowroot is made by depriving the vegetable of its acrid poison, and thus the Cassava is
rendered a substitute for bread to a whole people on the Mosquito shore ; but though cooking or pickling
may remove the evil qualities of milky Agarics by abstracting their acrid juices, yet they evidently do not
become dainties to please the palate, let us then rejoice and be thankful that in England we are not under
the necessity of trying experiments upon them to appease hunger.

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Order Htmenomycetes. Tribe Fikati.

Plate X,VI .

HYDNUM REPANDUM, i;^

The comimti Hi/diium.

Gen. Cliar. llj'menium of the same substance as the pileus, composed of fi-ee spine-like processes. Name fi'om
vbvov, the classical name for a Fungus ' which has been confounded with the true Truffle.

Spec. Cliar. Hydnum repandum. Fileita fleshy, more or less repand, smooth, zoneless ; from two to four
inches broad, the margin often arched, irregular iu form, lobed or imdulated, buflish, smooth. Spines unequal, ])ale,
conical, entii-e or sometimes bifid, or laciniated, even compressed or lamellated. Stem from one inch and a half to
three inches high, one inch thick, solid, paler than the pileus, sometimes clothed with white down, and at the
apex Avith aborted spines, almost always excentric, often lateral. There is a variety which has the pileus redder and
tomentose, and the spines pale cinnamon.

Hab. Borders of woods and upland pastures, in large rings, or gregarious groups.

In the account given of tlie Boletus tribe, it w'as stated that their distinguishing character, tlie arrange-
ment of the membrane containing the spores, is that it rvns up and lines the tubes of which the under part
of the pileus is composed ; in tlie Hi/dnums the position of tliis membrane is reversed, for it covers over
each of a mass of spinous processes, proceeding from the under side of the cap ; tliis spinous formation of
the hymenium has gained for the Iljdiiam various descriptive soubriquets, as " Arresteron ■", or Little Eake,
in Gascony ; " Barbe de Vaclie " in the Vosges ; " Steccherino ", from the sticks of a fan, in Italy ; in all
these countries it is considered an excellent article of food, and is so marked in character as quite to preclude
mistake. Our present subject, the Hijdnimi repandmii is the most palatable, but others are eaten, and iione
are unwholesome.

In shape and consistence there is a resemblance between the CantJiarellus ciharius and this Kydnum ;
they both are apt to taste rather acrid when raw, but beyond tliis general resemblance the likeness fails ; the
colour of the Chanterelle is rich yellow, that of the Ilydnnm buff leather colour, in wliich a yeUow shade has
no share ; the hymenium also of the Cluinterelle consists of veins and corrugations, instead of spines ; the
two plants delight in similar situations, are brought to the foreign markets at the same season, may be cooked
in the same manner and are equally safe, so that any confusion between them is only to be deprecated in a
botanical point of view. As we have no vulgar name for the Ilydnmn except the general and opprobious one
"toadstool", the calling it "common" Hj/dmim is likely to lead to mistake, for it is by no means with us
a common Fungus ; true it is that in pai'ticular spots repandum is descriptive of its mode of growth, in great
troops or bodies, often in immense rings, but in some parts of England it has never been seen, and probably
is shy of the plough and spade, lOce most of the Fungus tribe ; during successive years it may be collected
under oaks and other forest trees, on the borders of old woodland and in parks, it abounded near Tuubridge

' Probably Rhizopogoit, albus.

Wells ill the autumn of 1846, and from experience at that period, may be strongly recommended when
thorouglily stewed in wliite sauce ; the flavoiu- is extremely good, the substance digestible, and a resemblance
to oysters perceptible to some palates. It is the Chevrotine of the French ; and is much eaten in Austria.
However strong Enghsh prejudice may be with respect to the Pungus tribe, it is founded on fear, and
even those who grieve most at the neglect and waste of valuable species, cannot blame the caution of the
ignorant. To remove ignorance will it is hoped be to banish fear, and every one who ^vill take the trouble
may easily identify Hydnum repardum ; the only mistake likely to be made, is with its relative Hydmmi
imbricatmn, a large variety with a strikingly scaly pileus, rare in England although frequent in Germany,
where it is always eaten, but not esteemed so much as its more dehcate relative. To recapitidate, — the
K. repandum is a buff-leather coloured Fungus, not scaly on the pileus ; the under side is tliickly set with
spines of a paler colour than the cap, these are generally round, but apt to be deformed, and are easily broken
off, they may however readily be knoMoi as distinct from any tubular or pored hymenium ; " every spine
consisting of an interionr flesh-coloured substance, wliich appears to the eye darker, juicy, and watery, and
which forms a sort of kernel to a second tender transparent membrane, consisting of sporophores and spores,
and which is the hymenium " (Kromb.) ; now it is evident that such spines composed of a double substance,
may, when broken or injured, put on the appearance of rude tubes, it must then be remembered that the dust
or spores are situated within the tubes of such Funguses as possess that structure, but outside of the processes
of the Hi/dimm ; laid on a slate or glass these spores mil be found as a wliite deposit. If then any Fungus
of a fleshy description (for there are coriaceous Hydnwms not to be supposed eatable) has a spinous hymenium,
and a pileus free from scales, it is probably our subject. Its shape is very irregular, lobed, and waved, often
depressed in the centre, and the stem lateral ; when many grow together they are often confluent both in the
pileus and stem ; the flesh is white, firm, elastic ; occasionally a flesh-coloured tinge pervades it ; it is entirely
homogeneous or one with the stem, and has no very perceptible taste or smell ; in age, in very dry weather,
or when bruised, a cinnamon tint is assumed by the Fungus, and the whole darkens in drying ; it then
becomes tough and leathery, and our experience cannot certify that it is of any use ; it does not afford
ketchup, having httle natural moisture, for which reason young and fresh specimens only should be selected
for the table ; these must be cut in equal sized pieces, steeped in warm water and afterwards thorougldy
stewed either in rich brown sauce, or white enriched with cream or butter ; it is not of a substance proper
for broiling ; that operation rendering it tough and indigestible.

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PlateXVIT. Fig. 1.

SCLERODERMA VERRUCOSUM, ^./z

Warty Scleroderma.

Gen. Cliar. Peridium rooting, hard, clothed with an innate bark, biu'sting irregularly ; flocci adnate to the whole
interiour of the peridium. Spores simple, placed in minute heaps. Name from <rK\t]p6s, hard, and Sepfia, the skin.

Spec. Char. Scleroderma veerxjcosuji. Substipitate, peridiimi rounded, subverrucose, thin and brittle above,
pulp black-purple. Flocci and spores brown.
Scleroderma, vermcosum, I'rm, Fersoon, G-reviUe, Berkeley.
Lycoperdon veiTucosum, Bulliard, Withering.
defossum, Sowerby, TFifhering.

Hall. On hedge banks, under oaks in pastures.

Few persons who have picked up these small hard-coated puff-balls^ would suppose they had ever been
confounded with the subterranean Truffle, yet this is the case, and as the sineU when broken is pecuharly
unpleasant, resembling nothing witli which to compare it, and the inky hue of their contents is not calculated
to improve confidence in the virtues of the Selerodenua, we can imagine the consternation of an old English
cook, when offered such repulsive httle individuals, for that foreign luxury the Truffle ; most excusable in
such a case would be prejudice in favour of John Bull's roast beef as compared with outlandish dishes.

It will, perhaps, be doubted if ignorance so complete of what a Truffle really is could exist. Certainly
it did, and doe.s, in parts of the country where the Tuher cibarium is not commonly collected ; the professed
Truffle hunter, who easily turns a pound weight of liis spoils into liaK-a-crown, jealously guards his knowledge
from the vulgar ; he tells the inquirer, as lie told White of Selborne, years ago, that " he knows of many
kinds," and misleads, as far as he can, every one whose researches are likely to interfere with liis gains. Poor
country people becoming aware that an edible dehcacy, which is bought at a good price for the tables of the
rich, grows in the neighbourhood, and finding something resembling it according to their ideas, offer for
sale, not only the right, but the wrong tiling very often ; and their assertions and recommendations should
be received with the greatest caution ; Sclerodermas for Trufiles ; Horse-muslirooms instead of the wholesome
A. camj)esiris ; a large Pcziza or the bottom of an exhausted puff-ball, for flap-mushrooms ; mistakes of this
kind are not so much to be attributed to cupidity, as to ignorance, and want of that habit of minute chscri-
miuation, wliicli general education gives to the mind. Many poor people might be well employed in bringing
from the field and woodlands, at early day, Pungus treasures which the more dehcately constitutioned botanist

' From yaa-TTip, the stomach, and pvKr]s, a fungus, hymenimn included in the receptacle.
- From 6pi^, a hair, and yaarrip, the stomach ; receptacle filled with floccose hairs on which the spores are placed.

would fear to seek, but we caution liim not to take the word of any country man or woman, as to the
wholesomeness of the various articles. It is better to direct that all Funguses met with, shall be carefully
excavated and brought in, giving a shilling or two, according to quantity, and then to select for yourseK.
Thus many dainties may be procured wliich otherwise would spoil and be useless in the day, and there is no
%allage where some poor widow or other deser\ang object, may not earn in tliis manner dming the autumn,
a small fund to shield against the ' Union ' in winter. Many a dehcate lady may thus study these denizens
of spots she would fear to explore in person, for it is in out-of-the-way wild places, far from carriage tracks,
and often where large herds of cattle are pastured, that they chiefly abound.

Plate XVII. Fig. 2.

SCLERODERMA VULGARE, i^r.

Com Dion Sclerodrmia.

■'tes.

Sfec. Char. Sclerodersia vulg.\re. Subsessile, irregular, peridium corky, liard, bursting indefinitely, filled
with blue-black pulp, spores at length brown.
Scleroderma vulgare, Fries, Berkeley.
Lycoperdon aurantiacum, Bulliard, Suicerby.
Tuber soliduni, Witherimj.

Hall. Under oaks in pastures, not uueoumion.

At first sight the Sclerodermas may be confused with the soft-skiimed Lyco]}erdons, but the touch will
prove the difference, and the colour of the contents is inky when cut across, even wliile quite young, whereas
the ripened pulp of the Lycoj^erdons is of an olive brown or green hue. The latter are edible in their early
stage, the Sclerodermas are never so ; they are said to have powerful medicinal, which (without intending it
impertinently) is only another name for poisonous quahties, if taken in sufficient quantity for food ; they
certainly provoke a propensity for pelting, few persons picking up, without afterwards disposing of them in
this manner.

" My Phillis me with pelted puil-balls plies,
Then tripping to the woods the wanton flies." — Dryden.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Clavati}

Plate XVII] .

CLAVARIA INtEQUALIS, »

Irregular Yellow Clavaria.

Gen. Char. Receptacle erect, more or less cylindrical, homogeneous, conflueiit with the stem ; hymenium occu-
pying the whole surface.

Spec. Cliar. Clavaria iN.^auALls. Fasciculate, unequal, brittle, yellow or yellow-white, acute, irregular, some-
what tufted or gregarious, fragile, compressed, angular, clianneled, often bifid and variously cut and jagged at the
apex ; more or less ventricose, smooth and mostly yellow but sometimes whitish.
Clavaria infequaHs, Millie/; Fries, Greville, BerMey.
venniculata, Sowerby.

Hab. In grass, after stormy weather.

The Funguses of tliis genus are (like all otliers) distinguished by the position of the receptacle, which
is erect, homogeneous, smooth, confluent with the stem, and covered exterioiu-ly with the fruit-membrane or
hymenium ; the ripe spores fall out as dust of various hues, wliite or ochraceous, and may be seen hke a
bloom or slight mouldiness shed from one part upon another, or ejected on any dark smooth surface in a
correct pattern of the branched madrepore-shaped stems. There are many species, wliich vary much in
colour and form ; the extremes being a fleshy moss, or a simj)le horn, in appearance. Some are most delicate
articles of food, and Yittadini recommends them when gathered fresh, as extremely digestible and agreeable ;
unfortunately they are not cpmmon enough in our woods and meadows to make this recommendation generally
useful. A course of stormy weather vrAh heavy rains, produces them in autumn, but not in large quantities
any where in England that we ai'e at present aware of. The Clavarias are all of a fleshy, not coriaceous
substance, nor fibrous, although some become rigid when di-y, and can be preserved in that state. Many
are branched, their stems being fasciculated and the whole growth resembling that of a cauliflower ; these
are the best for the table having much substance in the stems, wldch when cooked are of a very good con-
sistence ; the upper shoots, becoming flabby when stewed, and apt to retain any sandy grittiness should, be
trimmed ofl'. Other Clavarias preserve the true character of the genus, a simple stem, growing larger to
the summit like a club ; others again as onr C. inaqnalis are slightly swollen in the middle and again
restricted, or have tlu'oughout uniform vermicular proportions.

The student vdU find many Funguses called Clavaria in the older botanical works, now divided from
that section, which is confined to the strict limits laid down in the general characters given above. Tijpliulas
and PistiUarias are minute members of the natiu'al family Clavaria, but they are parasitic on other vegetables ;

' From clava, a dub.

Caloceras which have the closest affinity will not be confounded with it, if the simple diflerence is remarked,
that all the true Clamrim are dry and persistent, the Caloceras slimy and deliquescent. In Geoglossum
sjjaf/iulana and Mitrnla a great natural distinction takes place, they have sporidia, packed iu asci for the
fructifying principle, instead of the simple spores of Chwaria, and are now therefore formed into a separate
family under the title Geofflossece.

We owe so much to the pains-takiug laborious pioneers, the Witherings, Sowerbys, &c., who have
observed and noted, that it is with a sort of pious sorrow we relinquish their works, superseded, but not
altogether set aside, by more perfect arraugemeuts and improved nomenclature ; for ori(jinal observations are
always valuable; in referring to these older works it is only requisite to take care to identify the object
described, and to ascertain syuonymes correctly. Sowerby's book has fortunately escaped a modem editor,
and if any young Mycologist should possess the thiixl edition of Withering, corrected by the author's own
grapliic pen only, he would make a woful mistake in exchanging, like Aladdin's lamp, the old for new.

Great geniuses have occasionally sprimg up. "Wliat! genius for My cology ? " Yes! even so. Porgive
us. Poets and Painters ! there may be such a tiling as genius receiving a direction even into a channel so
apparently duU as that ; like bright waters in similar bounds, still a vivifpng uifluence, it is still genius,
though employed in giving lucid arrangement to Toadstools, and with inadequate means, and under disad-
vantages such as must deter all but intent master-spirits, working bravely on ; to her zealous and faithful
worshippers, natm-e vouchsafes as it were, revelatious, witheld from the timid, or hstless, or mercenary. Such
meu were Clusius, whose shattered frame and pauiful existence were no impediments to his "labour of
love"; Micheli, who saw better, by inward inspu'ation, with the imperfect microscopes of his day, than any
of liis successourSj and whose investigations the perfection of modern instruments verifies, to the exclusion of
intermediate errour ; and Ray, — an oration in praise of Eay we must leave to the society who honour liis
inemorj', simply recording our opinion, that if ever true genius existed it was enshrined in John Eay, who
looked through all the wonders of " Creation " to find the " Wisdom of God " therein — and, returning to
the half-finished sentence interrupted by sentimental doubts, we venture to affirm that labourers in the field
of Mycology have occasionally sprung up, by whom tasks have been performed which notliing less than genius
could enable them to accomplish.

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Order Htmenomycetes. Tribe Fileati.

Plate XIX.

AGARICUS AIMATOCHELIS, B^dl^arcl.

Bloody-cinctwred Agaric.
Series Cortinaria.^ Sub-genus Telamonia.^

Gen. Cliar. Telamonia ; veil consisting of arachnoid fibres woven into a sub-persistent ring. Stem solid, at
length softer within, firm fibrillose. POeus more or less fleshy, the margin thin, eampanulate or convex, then
expanded, dry, squamulose or fibrillose. GUIs adiiate or emargiuate, broad, distant, changing colour. Large firm
fungi growing on the ground.

Spec. CJmr. A. aimatochelis. Pileus ft-om four to six inches across, imiform rich cinnamon-brown, iuclining
to pallid brick-red, sericeo-fibrillose, obtusely umbonate, margins incurved ; fleshy at the centre, thin towards the
margin. Stem solid, from four to six inches high, attenuated upwards, fibrillose, encircled by a red stain at the
point where the ring was attached. GUIs adnate, cinnamon.
Agaricus aimatochelis, BulUard.

hsematocheUs, Fries.

Le Fuseau Rubanier, Paidet.

Hah. " In beech woods, rare " ; Fries. At Holwood, Kent ; September 1840. New to English Botany.

This is a most elegant Agaric, and its girdle of sanguine tint, which gained for it the title "Rubamer",
of Paulet, is quite a distinctive mark from all others ; many have stains of various hues, left where the ring
has been, but these stains are generally caused, either by a deposit of spores, retained by the fragments of
the ring itself, or by the remains of the universal curtain forming coloured fibriUee below the point where
they were woven into the ring. All these various markings so caused upon tlie stems of Agarics have
generally some connexion in colour with the shades which tincture the rest of the plant, but in A. aima-
tochelis the red ribbon is the only red thing about it, and whence it derives that hue, and "why" it should
be conlined to one narrow band, and neither extended by spot nor shading into the neighbouring texture, is
one of those questions to wluch the fitting " because " is fortunately of no great importance, as it is bkely to
remain undeclared. " Because " it looks pretty, is quite reason enough to satisfy those who know how much
Nature loves to adorn her works, and certainly by giving to the elegant uniformly-tinted Aimatochelis, the
relief of a little bright colour, she has added a grace, and proved herself no Quaker. " Because " it is a
distinctive mark from some of its congeners, and is to identify it, as useful and valuable, or noxious and

' From cortina a veil ; spores reddish-oohi-e. Veil arachnoid. ^ p^om rfXn/xMi/, lint.

wovtliless j but no, much as we delight iu tiacing design and finding motives for even the colour of an Agaric,
iu this case there seems no good or evil depending upon it. " It does not hurt dogs ", that is all Mons.
Paulet discovered, and we know. The A. aimatockelis is one of those Funguses which like A. violaceus sup-
ports itseK among dead leaves, attaching to them a cottony web, or inycehiuu, by which means it is sustained
erect. It has the smell of an Oreades in a faint degree, and being agreeable to the taste, is most likely good
for food, but so rare that when found it will l)e probably preserved as a treasure for the Hortus Siccus,
instead of bein^ sacrificed to the Table.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XX. A.

THELEPHORA PURPUREA, p....o..

Gen. CJiar. Hymenium homogeneous and concrete with the pileus, even or papillate, its whole surface bearing
spores. Name from QjjKr] a nipple, and (jiipa to bcai', from the papillose appearance of the hymenium in many species.

Sjiec. CJiar. Thelephora purpurea. Imbricated, soft but coriaceous, rigid when diy, zoned, margin waved
and plicate, colour variable, often with a blackish zone near the margin, hymenium smooth, pm-ple or lilac, in age
dusky.

Thelephora pm-purea, Persoon, Fries, Greville, Berkeley.
Auricula reflexa, BulUard.
persistens, Sowerby, Purton.

Hah. On wood, old stumps, rails, dead branches lying on the ground ; all the year.

All Thelephoras commence their growth as minute, more or less downy patclies, quite adnate to the
substance, whether bark, planks, &c., on which they are found ; in tlais state they are called reswpinate, that
is topsy-tuny , the fertile surface being upwards, wliicli is contrary to the true character of the Pileate tribes.
A few species remain to the end entirely resujnnate, never turning over at all so as to form a pileus, but the
gi-eater number elevate themselves at one edge, and extend tlieii' growth upwards in that direction, remaining
fixed by the other extremity ; then the free side swells and becomes a pileus in its usual sense, thus forming
variously lobed, often densely imbricated masses ; the student will be obliged to watch carefully the successive
stages of development, in order to discriminate between the imperfect state of those kinds wliich form a
pileus, and the mature condition of those wliich never do. A few Tlieleplioras have stems, but the general
character of their growth is sessUe, seated or attached by a portion of the pileus. ThelepJwra jmrpurea is a
good example of the sessile kinds, it is produced in confluent patches on decaying timber ; a stump being
frequently frilled over with a congeries of its elegant lobes, wliich are flexible when moist, drying up and
becoming brittle and coriaceous during parching winds, but again swelling out into soft downy masses, after
rain ; in these varying conditions the present subject lasts many months, as do others of the family, but
although there may be successive growths of the plant about the same site for years, it is not truly perennial,
in the sense of the same uidividual pileus enduring for that period. Thelephoras are destitute of pores : a
distinguishing characteristic from the whole tribe of Polyporus, some varieties of which in the young state
approximate to them closely. It may be as well here to remark that general descriptions apply only to the
perfect state of plants ; a young pufi'-ball and a button mushroom are at fh'st sight alike ; inexperience must
wait till the shapeless cotton which is the early development common to many Tlieleplwras and Polypornses,
has assumed features before a decision can be made to which class it belongs : perhaps we must acknowledge
that our present subjects are featureless ; Sfr J. E. Smith evidently thought so, when after trying to fix on
distinctive characters he says " when their smooth surface discharges powdery seeds they are to be considered

as perfect species of TJielephora ", agreeing with liim tliat this is " rather vague ", we can only improve upon
it by distinctions of a negative kind ; they never have pores, like the Poli/porus family ; the hymenium is
never a gelatinous membrane Hke those of Hxidias, Tremellas, &c., with which they were formerly classed
under the general name Aurieularia,^ from a fancied resemblance to the ears of animals. Tlie surface from
wliich the spores are emitted is of a smooth velvet texture, without veins or teeth ; in some varieties little
eminences or tubercles (whence the name) arise in it, but the texture is not affected thereby. The upper
surface of those wliich possess a pileus, is often zoned, wrinkled, and covered with shaggy down or velvety
plush. The substance is altogether concrete and homogeneous, that is, of one substance, not of two parts
wliich can be pulled away from each other, as the tubes and flesh of a Boletus may easily be, thereby showing
their distinct nature.

Plate XX. B.

THELEPHORA C M^V L'E A, sckrader.

Spec. Cliar. Effused, confluent, adnata, sub-tomentose, bright-blue, at fii'st byssoid, but when fully developed
forming a close membrane, foUowing the undulation of the wood on which it grows. Of a beautiful dark satiny
blue, the margins whitish.

Thelephora cserulea, Schrader, Fries, Berkeley, Persoon.
Byssus phosphorea, Linnmus, Witliermg.
AuKicuLARiA phosphorea, Sowerby, Purton.

Hub. On very wet decaying wood, sticks, rails, &c.

This is one of those Thelephoras which continue always resupiuate, the seed-surface uppermost, never
forming anything resembUng a pileus ; it consists at first of very fine short upright down, " much finer than
the finest wool" (With.); it resembles in fact effused velvet, forming a beautiful blue film with downy
margins, over extremely decayed moist wood, to the sinuosities of which it closely adapts itself. Fries
describes it as beset with bristles in with state it probably was seen by Withering, who, following Lirmeeus
classes it vritli Bj/ssus, and says " it has the joints rather long ", Mr. Berkeley had not however verified this
fact, and certainly they are not present in many specimens, perhaps appeai'uig only at one period of growth.
TJielephora carulea abounds in the woods of Sussex, the peculiar colour will always serve to identify it, and
it is one of the most striking instances which can be pointed out, of the manner in which nature replaces one
form of life by another, at the same time veiHng inevitable decay in a robe of beauty.

' The genus Utelephora was separated from Auricularia by Fries, on account of the quarternary arrangement of
the spores.

i

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXI.

POLYPORUS DRYADEUS, p.r.o..

False Amadou.

Gen. Cliar. Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores, with thin
simple dissepiments. Name from woXis, many and n-dpos, a. pore in allusion to the numerous pores of the hjTnenium.

Spec. Char. Polyporus deyadeus. Sessile at the foot of oaks, forming imbricated, u'regularly confluent
masses from one foot, to two feet or more across ; each main division of the pUeus is from eight inches to a foot in
diameter, and from two to thi-ee inches tliick ; rather soft, grossly tuberculated, the margins swollen, resembling a
honey-comb, being filled with pits which at first contain drops of glutinous sUghtly astringent, sub-acid liquor ; as
this dries the edges become black and the pits disappear. In youth the whole plant is pale grey with lemon-coloured
or whitish margins, in its after-growth cinnamon-brown both surfaces becoming covered with a velvety grey-white
substance, like the bloom of fruit, receiving the minutest impression of the Eungus, and turning brown where
touched. The pored surface is nearly plane, grey-cinnamon, the pores are extremely minute, the tubes very long,
particularly near the base, where they measm-e from a half to three-quarters of an inch in depth ; the mass of pores
contracts in di'ying forming deep cracks down to the fibres of the pileus which run at nearly right angles to them.
The substance of the j^ileus when dry is fibrous, not corky, reddish brown as well as the tubes. The whole plant
is heavy Vhen fresh, but loses much of its weight and volume in drying. It grows very quickly, but a pileus of the
previous year sometimes endures thi-ough the winter, and new growth takes place from it. It is at most biennial.
PoLYPORCS dnadeus, Fries, Berkeley.
Boletus dryadeus, Persoon.
pseudo-igniarius, BuUlarcl,

Hah. At the foot of an aged oak, Hayes; August.

We have before mentioned that the tribe Polyporus was formerly included in Boletus, but removed from
that class by Fries ; Boletus remaining the title of the soft-fleshed family with central stems, whose tubes
easily separate from the distinct flesh of the pUeus, while Poli/jjorus includes those more or less coriaceous
and generally parasitic individuals, the pores of which are, as in Boletus the orifices of tubes ; but whose
tubes are concrete with the substance of the pileus, and cannot be pulled away fi-om it, even when, as in the
case of P. dryadeus our present subject, the tubes bend away at right angles to the horizontal fibres of the
pileus.

" Hitherto ", says BuUiard, " tliis Boletus has been confounded with the Amadou, which error would
not have taken place if it had been remembered that the Amadou grows very slowly, that it has very short
tubes, and that they are never separated by crevices whether fresh or dry ", other distinctions he gives, taking
much pains to set at rest which fungus is the valuable article to wliich modern surgery is so much indebted.

lu its proper place we hope to follow liis good example, therefore now need make no further remark on
Amadou, than that our present subject is a pretender to the title. Folyporus clri/adens is not commonj and
is so remarkable from the raanner in which it is charged with moisture that it cannot be mistaken when met
with, as this peculiar talent for distillation is not possessed by any other of the tribe ; whether the liquor
thus abstracted from the parent oak by a natural alembic has properties more valuable than human art could
evolve, we do not know, but the astringent sub-acid flavoui' makes it probable that it contains the same
mediciaal properties as oak-baik, although beiag only a modification of the sap in a shghter degree.

It is very variable in size and shape according to the site or season, and in colour, according to its age,
or exposure ; a specimen wliich grew in Hampshire to a very large size, being described as resembhng " very
homely pie-crust covered with scorched flom' ", tliis specimen was also composed of two or tlu-ee large, nearly
plane, pileate pieces, lying one over the other, and the dro])s of moisture were much less abundant and more
minute than in the Kentish sjiecimen according to its entu'e bulk. Hard and woody as P. ilrijadeus is when
dry it encloses iu its substance ivy, briars, or grass, wliich remain flourishing greenly, ia despite of the suifo-
catiug embrace of the Fungus which became efPused around them in a soft state ; tlris is the case with many
hard coriaceous members of the Poli/poru-s and Badalia tribes and proves how rapid their early developement
must have been.

Angas mentions that, in the woods of New Zealand, large Funguses of these kinds stand out from the
parent trees so boldly and rigidly, as to make commodious seats ; he does not enter into any details as to
species, and it is a pity that intelligent travellers, who would blush to make any statements as to trees and
flowers that were not scientificaUy correct, dismiss poor neglected mycological specimens with " A Fungnas ";
let us hope there may yet be a " Diffusion of Knowledge " on this subject also.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXII.

BOLETUS PACHYPUS, 5..^

Oeii. Cliar. Hymenium distinct from the substance of the pUeus, consisting of cylindric separable tubes.
Spores oblong. Name from /SiXor, a hall ; from the rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Char. B. pachypus. " Pileus six to seven inches broad, dry, puli'inate, subtomentose, pale reddish
brown, very thick and fleshy, when young firm, when full-grown very soft ; flesh white, uot changeable. Tubes free,
at first lemon-coloured, afterwards dirty yellow, simple. Stem three to four inches high, two inches and a half thick,
bulbous, often swollen from the top, rarely equal, reticulated, yellowish when young, sub-rufescent when old. Some-
times two or three specimens spring from the same root." "The tubes do not become blue when touched."
" Another form, with the tubes at first bright yellow, the stem extremely thick and not in the least reticulated, but
rough like that of B. scaber, and neither flesh nor tubes changeable, occurred in May at King's Cliffe, Norths.
Spores pale olivaceous ochre. Taste and smell like that of A. Georgii (the Horse-mushroom); the yellow expressed
juice distinctly acid.
Boletus pachypus, Berkeley, Fties^

Hah. Under trees on a hedge-bank, Wj-mondham, Norfolk, June.

The large varieties of Boletus have a similar rude hastily developed irregular growth, often compressed
and distorted from meeting with obstacles to their swelhng out equally in every part of the pileus ; specimens
of B. eduU-s, B. 2^achijpus, B. scaber, kc, may be so aberrant from theii' true nature, as at first sight to be
taken for each other. The attempt to fix on positive specimens of each species to give the student correct
ideas of them is so far difficult, that the defimtions of our present authorities, are not very ample or strict,
nor accordant with each other ; and tliis is not sm-prising since ill-grown, or over-gromi, or diseased Boletuses
are constantly presenting themselves, which it is an exercise of botanical acumen to refer to their proper
place ; the patience and mgenuity of tlie student will find ample scope in classing a basket of mixed Boletuses
produced as they often are in large quantities, after heavy summer-rain, partaking of every form and colour,
and varying not more fi-om their kindred, than from themselves, according as they are affected by soil and
situation, by temperature and weather. The changing colour when broken may certainly be depended upon
in determuiing any Boletus, so far as the intensity of the blue or any other shade acquired by the exposure
of the juices to the air, may vary according to the moist or dry state of the flesh, or its age, but a changeable
Eungus is changeable always, and does not turn blue at one time and not at another; if therefore any Boletus
is cited as tumiug blue, and another as not doing so, they may be near relatives, but Jiot the same although
their outward resemblance should be considerable. An unerring test is the colour of the spores, which may
be collected by placing the pileus on a glass, the spores of a given individual being always of the same hue.
Some of the Boletus tribe when their tubes are longitudinally divided, are found to have them quite simple,
others have compound tubes, wliich means that at some distance from their attachment to the pileus, they

branch into several j'ipes with distinct orifices ; this structure must be attended to in full grown specimens,
in 3'oung ones it is not so apparent, but only the mature Fungus should ever be depended upon for botanical
character.

With the descriptions of two varieties of Boletas given by Mr. Berkeley, under the name of pachi/jms,
our subject agrees, having points common to both ; ours was firm ivlien young, and the large specimen had
become very soft iti age ; in the young one the stem was obscurely retictdatecl, which disappeared, as the
texture grew rough with time ; two or three ymmg plcmis sprang from the same hase, and the spores were a
pale olivaceous ochre ; the juice was acid, and the smeU agreeable resembling an eatable mushi'oom. Our
Fungus Kkewise agreed ivith the descriptions cited above in bemg unchangeahle ; neither tubes nor flesh
became blue ; and in tiiis respect they aU differ from B. pac/iyjjus of Fries ; wliether therefore liis Fungus
and ours be intrinsically the same may perhaps admit of doubt, but our plate is the Boletus that Mr. Berkeley
describes under that name. With Boletus pachypus Fries gives a variety he calls B. amarus, which at present
has escaped our obsei-vation ; this amarus is the B. pachypics of Krombholz, who says " beware of eating
it ", one would have supposed it to be its own sufficient caution, as he adds that it differs from all other
tubed Agarics by its disagreeableness, and assuredly to be the most disagreeable of Boletuses is no sUght
dis-praise ; " it has an oily smell of bugs, and the taste is bitter and nauseous, the skin of the pUeus being
pai'ticularly bitter, it grows in the deciduous woods (as distinguished fi'om pine forests) of Northern Germany,
in summer and autumn; seldom in spring". Its general gTowth resembles B. eduUs, when we introduce
that excellent species to our gastronomic friends it \vill be time to point out clearly their discrepancies ;
knowledge of Mycology, however, is not intended to supersede the senses of taste and smell, and those who
possess such valuable gifts need not learn to consider them mere vuglar prejudices.

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Order Htmenomycetes.' Tribe Pileati.'^

Plate XXIII.

AGARICUS RUBESCENS, p.r.o.«.

Reddening Fly Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.* Sub-genus Amanita.*

Sul-gen. Char. Amanita. Veil double ; one universal, covering the whole plant in a young state, distinct from
the epidennis, at length burst by the protrusion of the pileus, part remaining at the base of the stem, part either
falling off, or forming warts on the pileus ; the other veil partial, at first covering the gUls, and afterwards forming
a reflected sub-persistent ring on the top of the stipes. Stem stuffed, at length hollow, squamoso-fibriUose, thickened
at the base. Pileus with the disc fleshy, the margin thin, campanulate, then plane, viscid when moist. GiUs
attenuated behind, free, broader in front, ventricose, close, but little unequal.

S])ec. Cliar. Agaeicus rubescexs. Pileus convex, then expanded and nearly plane, vinous-red, grejish-
bro\ni, or uicKning to buff, but mth more or less lake in the tints ; clothed with pale unequal mealy wai'ts, the
margin smooth and even, not striate, though in old specimens sometimes appearing so, in consequence of the backs
of the gOls shewing through the epidermis. Flesh tiuTiing red when bruised or pierced by insects. GUIs watery,
white, broad in fi-ont, narrow behind, adnexed to the stem, by a fine line. Stem stuffed with a cottony substance,
afterwards becoming hollow, bxdbous, attenuated upwards, scaly ; ring large, deflexed, patent, persistent. Pileus
from three to four inches broad, stem two to three inches high. Volva very fugacious (obliterated).
Hab. In woods, summer and autumn.

To rescue merit from undeserved obloquy is always a praiseworthy undertaking ; but when the knight-
errant puts spear in rest to fight the battle of a pretender, his cliivalry, however easUy it may run away with
his better judgement, does not carry ours along with it. The Dulcineas of H Dottor Carlo Vittadini are of
doubtful reputation to begin with, and Agaricns rubescem, recommended and defended by his eloquent
enthusiasm, cooked, eaten, and pronounced "sano", can never be considered other than "sospetto"; an
esculent Agaric should be like Caesar's wife — above suspicion. That Vittadini ate tliis Agaric several times
without derangement of health is certain, but he might have done the same with Agaricus muscarius, its near
relative, which is not injurious in small quantities. A. vaginatus we have ourselves eaten with impunity,
taking only one for our share, whereas by appropriating several, their narcotic property, according to the
German authorities, might have produced alarm. An article of food cannot be considered wholesome, imless

' From ii/xiji/, a viembrane, and iMVKrjs, z. fungus. ^ From^i7e«s, a cap.

^ From XiVKOi, white, and anropos, a seed. * A name given to some Agaric by Galen.

like a potato or haricot, all the world may satisfy appetite by making a meal of it ; and the result of various
testimony as to the qualities of A. rubescens is certainly not favourable. The ketchup made from it, spoils
almost immediately, becoming ammoniacal and slimy, the Agaric itself taken ia smaU quantity when broiled,
is certaudy not unpalatable, but the statement of that very exact, and in esculent Funguses xuiquestionable
authority, Paulet, has always prevented our trying experiments on ourselves, which do not seem to have
agreed very well with his dogs. Notliing can be more fallacious than judging of the qualities of a Fungus
from its being the food of insects and snails ; the latter particularly delight in such as have acrid milk (old
Gerarde would, perhaps, account for it on the principle of things, " hot in the first degree ", being wholesome
for those of a " cold " constitution) and there are very few of the soft-fleshed tribes, all of which are the
nurseries of innumerable insects, so much in favour as the poisonous Boletus luridus, on breaking an old
one it is a living mass of larvae. Our present subject is so soon attacked by insects that it is very rare to
find specimens devoid of wTigghng hfe, and being a very common and abundant kind, it must be of great
service in the economy of insect existence. Tliis is a use for it, sufficient to satisfy the inquirer that nature
never wastes her resources, for if it should seem a pity that so many Agarics should not be made into food
for man, it may also be a pity that he should rob so many maggots of their subsistence, or, at any rate, make
an entomological meal when he only intended a mycological one. Arfariciis rubescens has much beauty in a
young state, the warts are the remains of a xmiversal veil or volva, which is fugacious, or, as it is styled,
" obliterated ", the ring when carefully detached from the edge of the pileus, retains the impression of every
giU wliich it protected, and the giUs are like carved ivory ; if bruised it becomes reddish, and so it does
where pierced internally by the insects, so that at last the clean debcate ivory texture, turns to a dingy-red
disagreeable mass of decay ; in wet weather this is very rapid ; few Agarics give out so much liquid in their
deliquescence, wliich it is a waste of courtesy to style ketchup, where A. rubescens is the subject operated upon.
The colour of the epidermis varies, but a vinous-red is the prevalent tinge. The subject of our plate is
in youthful perfection.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXIV.

POLYPORUS VERSICOLOR, zi..^.^.

Parti-coloured Polygons.

Gen. Cliar. Hymeuium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores with thin
simple dissepiments. Name from noKin, many and nopos, a, pore, in allusion to the many pores of the Hymeuium.

Spec. Char. Polyporus veksicolcr. Variable ; sometimes quite resupinate, or with the margins reflexed ;
more generally dimidiate and densely imbricated, occasionally spuriously stipitate ; pilei more or less lobed, coria-
ceous, villous, with various coloured more or less shining, regular concentric zones ; generally smooth, but sometimes
the whole surface is villous and the zones mere depressions. Pores round, white, or cream-coloured in age, lacerated.
The whole plant rigid when dry, in which state it does not easily decay, although the growth is tridy annual.
Polyporus versicolor, 'Fries, Berkeley, Greville.
Boletus versicolor, Zinn., Bull., Sow., With.

Hah. On stumps, raOs, stakes &c. ; extremely common.

Although in the course of this work it may be desirable that any new or rare Fungus should be portrayed
for the experienced Mycologist, it is also necessary that the student beginning his " first steps ", should have
some simple and famihar examples given of each class, and therefore Polyporus versicolor is selected for the
present illustration ; it is easily met with, for every httle plot of out-door premises affords specimens ; if we
samiter into the kitchen garden, the espalier or raspberry stakes probably have ruffles of it ; the rustic treUis,
the posts that support the bench, the very water-butt in the dingy town back-yard, may be adorned with an
elegant congeries of its pileuses, fastened down and contracted at one edge, like striped velvet ribbon, plaited
in scallops.

In its first stage this Eungus appears as circular white discs, depressed in the centre, which is huffish,
and there minute pores like pin-holes soon develope themselves ; ia this state it increases to about an inch in
diameter, the margin of the disc remaining smooth and firm, and the whole central surface consisting of
shallow pores, the mider side being tightly affixed to the wood beneath; this condition, which is called
resupinate, because the plant is lying on its back, or upside down, it makes an eifort to quit, and to assume
the regular character of a pileated Fungus ; risiag therefore on one side it becomes what is termed dimidiate,
or displaying half a pileus, and idtimately more or less free, even spuriously stipitate, this appearance of a
stem being given by a prolonged mass of the pored formation, not by fibres composing a true stalk. When,
as generally happens, a row of young plants is formed longitudinally upon the wood, they ultimately reflex
over one another, becoming tiled or imbricated, while the folds of each pileus reflect the light like shot satin.

between wliicli and velvet tlie texture varies. In any of the stages above described tlie development of the
plant may be checked, so as never to attain its perfect state ; sudden frost may arrest the swelling of the
substance, and sudden warmth and moisture accelerate it, these changes affecting the configuration, as much
as absence of hght, or bright sunshine, do the colouring, so that a precise description cannot be given of an
iudi\'idual which wears such changeable apparel. Pair damsels, however, retain the same face, whether the
last gay fashion displays its contour, or the cottage bonnet conceals it, and thus, although momentarily
puzzled by a fanciful change of costume, we may recognize our pretty friend P. versicolor under it. On the
other hand, a rival T/telepAora or Badalia,

" In velvet mantle bound with minever",

may be accosted by mistake,but the features differ too much for any but cursory error ; that is to say, quitting
our figurative exempUfication, Thelephoras, which in their imbricated masses and general growth, resemble
this Polyporm, have not pores, but a smooth hymenium, and Bxdalia unicolor, at first sight to be taken for
a faded specimen of it, has a minutely and beautifully labyrinthine under-surface, whence its name, that
cunning workman Daedalus suggesting the application.

The family Polyponts is very extensive, and admits of being arranged in various natural sections,
according to distinctive characters, independent of the one great feature common to aU its members, the
pored hymenium. Our present subject, having "the pileus juiceless and firm, consisting of a thin fibrous
cuticle heterogeneous as well from the hymenium as fi'om the covering of the pileus ", belongs to the section
Inodermei of Fries, and sub-division Coriacei wliicli are " coriaceous, generally villous and concentrically
furrowed, and are commonly banded with zones of another colour ", in a dry state they endure as if preserved
for a Hortus Siccus, but are only annual in growth. In determining any species the student must remember,
that specimens imperfect from youth, or distorted by growing in pecuhar positions, or changed by the decay
of age, may appear not only unlike the genuine type of the plant, but like some other. From the laceration
of the pores in age, and the disposition of individuals unfairly compressed, to push into wider space, in order
to expand a pileus, the present subject is often perplexing ; Fries complains of its sporting in every way, and
appearing under innumerable forms so that "you might easily divide it into a hundred species having no
real existence"; he is, however, speaking of it as brought "from all parts of the world" including the
tropics, in England it wUl be tolerably safe to refer a decidedly coriaceous Tolyporus, with white or cream-
coloured pores to " Versicolor" but not to let examination stop at that reference, a little trouble in verifi-
cation is always advisable, and the student cannot attend too closely to minute differences, although, as in
this case, they may not be of sufficient importance to establish a new species. Of the beauty of P. versicolor
there can be no doubt, of its utOity we know nothing, that is probably confined to its power of ehciting the
principles of innocent and ornamental life from decaying wood, which instead of its own green leaves becomes
adorned with flourisliing growths of another kind. It furnishes a comfortable roof, and food, to various
insects, which eat away the pores entirely, in some cases.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXV.

BOLETUS LARICINUS, 5.;vi.%

Hie Larch Boletus.

Gen. Char. Hymenium distinct from the substance of the pileus, consisting of cylindric, separable tubes. Spores
oblong, of various colours. Name from ^akos a hall, from the rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Char. Boletus laricinus. Pileus from two to six inches broad, dirty white with Livid stains, at first
clothed with yellowish slime, which gi-adually disappears, sub-squamose, often deeply scrobiculate, sometimes having
adpressed fascicles of filaments, the remains of the shiny ring ; tubes adnate, sub-decurrent, compound, each having
two or three angular orifices, at first nearly white with a yellow tinge, then brownish from the ripened spores.
Flesh yellowish-white, not changeable. Stem two inches or more high, from half an inch to thi-ee quarters thick,
nearly equal, furnished with a ring, above which it is reticulated (from the pressure of the pores before the expansion
of the pileus), frequently much scrobiculated below, dirty white like the pileus, stained with the spores, downy at
the base. Spores brownish clay-coloured.

Hah. Under or near Larches, first fomid by 111-. Berkeley in Northamptonshire ; afterwards at Keston, Kent,
by Mr. Peete.

Some shi'ewd men of the world once determined to put a hold face on the matter, since a handsome one
was denied them, and founded an Ugly Club, over which wit probably threw a halo, dazzHng the eye into
non-perception of the features ; at any rate, it was politic to make ughness a personal glory instead of
disgrace, by thus affixing distinction to it. If among Funguses an Ugly Club were formed. Boletus laricinus
would surely be elected to the President's clump of moss, without a dissentient Pileus objecting. Inelegant
in form, livid in colour, veiled in shme (what an association with a veil), this Pungus may have rivals in
repulsiveness, but none that we ever discovered. When past extreme youth it looks even worse than it is,
the furrows in the cap (scrobiculate) give it a collapsed, wrinkled look of age ; the discolom'ed stains have
an air of decay, and altogether it reminds our eyes and fingers of the loathsome grey slugs which inhabit
damp vaults.

This Boletus, wliich was quite a botanical novelty when fh'st found by Mr. Berkeley, is of course
unnoticed in any foreign authority. It was abmidant in the one habitat at Keston, where it was also
discovered, and attained the dimensions of the generahty of large Boletuses, that is, about eight inches across.
It grew on the north-side of a fir plantation, in boggy ground, never receiving a ray of sun ; in tliis dismal
swamp, its companions were Lycoperdon saccatum, from which in decay oozes the offensive oHve-coloured
pulp wliich contains the spores, and another slimy, but handsome Boletus, the Mavidus. It was not then,
of old, a mere poetic association of ideas, that placed disagreeable productions in disagreeable situations.

surrounding deeds of darkness with objects, innocent, perhaps, iu themselves, but such as haunt obscure
seclusion, like bats and owls. No violet or primrose could have flourished, tempting the roving foot, in the
spot where these Funguses were found; springing among dank sour weeds and fed by impure air and
corrupted vegetable matter, of course they were unfit for food. Yet they were treasures to the botanist, and
it is matter of regret, that by draining and burning the soil of this pet nook, the proprietor has effectually
removed all traces of our present subject, and flourishing carrots reward his enterprise, in cultivating what
appeared hopelessly unprofitable soil.

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Order Gasteromtcetes.' Sub-order Trichogastres.^

Plate XXVI.

LYCOPERDON GIGANTEUM, 5.^../.

Giant Puff-ball.

Gen. Char. Peridium membranaceous, with an adnate sub-persistent bark, within furnished at the base with a
spongy sterile stratum. Capillitium unequal.

i^ec. Char. Lycoperdon giganteum. Peridium, above very obtuse, brittle, bursting in areolae, at length
broadly open ; outer membrane sub-distinct. Spores olive-coloured,
Lycoperdon giganteum, BatscJi, Berkeley, Fries, Persoon.
BovisTA gigantea, Nees, Greville.

Hob. In pastures and plantations.

There can be no difficulty in recognizing tlie Giant Puff-ball, mere dimension serving to distinguish it
sufficiently ; the size very frequently exceeds the specimens given in the plate, a note being made of some
in August, 1846, one of which, extremely irregular from having been impeded ia growth, squeezed up
among felled timber, was equal iu mass to a half -peck loaf. The Greeks called this Fungus Kpaviov, and
how correctly the name appKes, the skuU-like portrait proves ; indeed, it appears necessary to state that it
is an exact portrait, not humoured in the least into a fancied resemblance , the place where the root is
broken off represents the nasal orifice.

However varied the forms of Lycoperdon g\gante%vm may be, owing to checked expansion, &c., they
will be found in youth to consist of a bag, gathered in at the base, and terminating in a single root. On
peeHug off the leather-like covering, which precisely resembles fine kid, and bears the impression of the
finger, a soft snow-white mass is found to occupy the whole interiour, growing denser towards the base ;
in age the upper part turns yellow, then olive, and shows itself to be the capiUitium ^, as it is called,
among which the spores are placed ; the lower part undergoes no change, being the sterile stratum.

The ripening of the spores causes the fertile plant to swell, so that when the Fungus has fair scope, it
assumes more or less the shape of a reversed pyramid ; further expansion cracks the upper part of the bag
into tolerably regular polygons, and eventually the whole summit becomes opened for the dispersion of the
dust-like spores. Of many, carefully watched, the progress has been simply this — on no occasion have the

' From yasrfjp, the stomach, and iivktis, b. fungus; hymenium included in the receptacle.

^ From 6p\^, a hair, and yasnj/j, the stomach ; receptacle filled with floccose hairs on which the spores are placed.

^ From cajullm, a hair.

contents of the peridium flowed out in a liquid form ^, still, individual observation can only be cited for
what it is worth, and in ramy weather the bottom of the bag, by retaiuiag wet, may reduce the contents to
mud, in which case the peziza-like stratum might endure after the lic[uid was gone ; whereas when deli-
quescence does not take place the whole mass remains together, shrunk in volume and greatly diminished in
weight, fit for tinder or amadou. In these days, when a Lucifer match is so readily at hand, tinder has
gone out of fashion for household pm'poses, but in the time of Gerarde, the dry Fusse-ball, wliich smoulders
without flame, and is therefore not extinguishable by currents of air, was found a useful article in domestic
economy. " In divers parts of England, where people dwell farre fi'om neighbours, they carry them kindled
with fire, which lasteth long ; whereupon they were called Lucernarum Fungi." Their substance is in fact
a natural amadou, such as is a necessary adjunct to the cigar, but if there be any truth in the opinion of
the deleterious properties of the dust (spores), it would not be safe either to blow upon as tinder, or applied
to wounds as a styptic; the beKef that the "snuff" from the "Devil's box" is injurious to the eyes is
general, whether well founded or not few would hazard the experiment of proving, any kind of dust in the
eyes being unpleasant to say the least.

" The country people do use to kiU or smother Bees with these Fusse-balls, being set on fire, for the
which purpose it fitly serveth." (Gerarde's Herbal, 1597.) The " Humane Bee-keepers " are probably not
aware that the use of this Fungus to assist them in " depriving " bees, is three hundred years old ; a friend
having lately asked for some to apply for the purpose, renders it impossible to refi-ain from saying a few
words on tliis subject, questions of humanity being always worthy of investigation, and apt to be perverted
by mistaken sentimentahty. The country people of the present time " stifle " the bees irrecoverably when
they take away their honey ; the " humane " and enlightened bee-keeper, instead of depriving the bees of
life for ever, " temporarily stifles " them so that they may recover ,and then glories in his humanity over the
rustic brute who massacres bees — " We have each got the honey, but my bees are ahve ! " Alive for what ? To
discover that the treasure they worked for is gone, the food they hoarded replaced by an inferiour substitute, in
order that they may toil through other summers to meet an equally bitter disappointment, living in the accumu-
lation of wealth wliich they are never to enjoy, — but, "annually deprived ", die annually. Surely oue death were
better, and no after-suffering of destitution ; for the instinct wliich makes these insects hoard a sufficiency,
must also inform them they have lost it. Poor bees ! It would be weU if it could be ascertained whether
the " stifling " from one material be more painful than from another ; it is permitted to kill an ox for food,
by parity of reasoning it is therefore permitted to kill bees, only let both be done with as httle suffering as
possible ; all life must be otice extinguislied, and, perhaps, the human bed of sickness is the most painful
manner of all.

Under the head of Lycoperdon saccatum wiU be found directions for cooking the Puff-ball tribe ; we
need only add a repeated recommendation of the " Vescie buone da friggere " of the Tuscans — our Giant
Lycoperdons.

' In Lycoperdon saccatum the deliquescence of the contents of the peridium oozes out as a disagreeable oUvaceous
fluid, but the top of the hay does not hurst in areolcB, it decays altogether leaving the stem-Uke base entire.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Tremellini.

Plate XXVII.

TREMELLA MESENTERIC A, i^.^

Orange Tremella.

Gen. CJiar. Receptacle various in form, of a more or less gelatinous substance, homogeneous, the hymeuium
extended over every part of the external siuface.

Spec. Char. Tremella mesenterica. Rather tough, twisted, lobcd, and plicate ; orange-yellow.
Tremella mesenterica, Ret:., Fries, Berk., With., Grev., Bull.
Hah. On decaying branches, sticks, &c., common.

Translucent and jelly-like, tliis pretty Tremella tas yet a firm texture, and does not melt between the
fingers, nor smear them, as from its apparent viscosity a stranger to it might suppose would be tlie case ;
it is, in fact, gelatinous matter enclosed in a bag, variously puckered and drawn in ; the fi'uit-bearing
membrane being external, and carried down into all the crannies and plaits of the tremulous mass wliich
sustains it. It forms minute paUid sacs beneath the bark of stakes, &c., and might at first be taken for the
juices of the wood inspissated on oozing out ; these small bodies ara'produced in Hues, running along some
particular fissure of the woody fibre, pusliing off its cuticle, and then freely expanding into the elegant
Orange Tremella ; one or two only, of what may be considered perfect plants, having taken the lead, keep it,
but a row of immature ones may generally be found following in their train, if we strip off the loose bark
which screens them.

Let us examine this espaher stake ; the fulness of creative energy cannot be better exemplified. We
will reckon how many species of flomisliing existence replace the life of the sapling oak, for such it was,
cut from the cop]jice. Firstly, then, our showy Orange Tremella, wliich instantly strikes the eye, occupies
more than one position, the bark of the wood being roUed back to give it place. Secondly, lower down the
beautifully banded velvety tUes of Thelephora versicolor occupy a place. "I see nothing else — 0 yes ! here,
coming tlu-ough the earth, are some black stags' -horn-like substances, with snowy tips, very pretty, but are
they a Pungus ? " They are, — Spharia Hj/poxi/lon, a pecnhar and easily recognized plant. " But they do
not belong to the stake." PuU it up ; you see they grow from it, a short distance below the surface of the
soil, and now that the wood is nearer to the eye it will discover something more, for tliat prevalent grey hue
of the bark, is a close crust of minute circular discs fiUed with a brown-yellow substance, hke tiny cheese-
cakes; these are the shields containing the fructification of Lecanora su/jfiisca, one of the extensive Lichen
family. Here are small black bodies, looking like the dung of some little insect, but in reality another kind
of Lichen, Lecidea elaochroma. The black patches which replace the cuticle of the wood here and there.

as if it had beeu burned, are a congeries of a most beautiful microscopic object, Sphteria stigma ; and these
bits of buff velvet are TlielepJwra incarnata. So that not a space upon the bark of our perishing Oakling
but is occupied by the parasitic life it nourishes, wliile the very cuticle itself, though loaded superficially
with Lichens, is broken up and pushed off by various eruptive Spkcerias, wliich have their origin deeper ;
here is Sphceria taleola doubtless, lying perdue beneath these little crater-Kke orifices ; remove the outer
peUicle of bark carefully, there, those black spots with wliite centres are the Fungus in question.

All these subjects are well worthy microscopic investigation, and although it has been determined that
the present work shall embrace only such Funguses as do not necessarily render the use of one indispensable,
still an incidental allusion to minuter objects, as exquisite in their finish and developement as the most
gigantic, cannot be misplaced. It is not to be supposed that all these genera are present on all sticks, but
so great is the number of species frequently to be discriminated, that we assure the student the particular
specimen of wood now lying on the desk, not only exlubits the various Funguses and Lichens indicated,
but some Mosses to boot !

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileafi.

Plate XXVIII.

DtEDALIA BETULINA,i;/«.

Birch free Dcedalia.

Gen. Char. Hymenium consisting of anastomosing gill-like processes, composing elongated flexuous contorted
pores ; formed out of the corky substance of the pileus, or concrete with it. Name from Dsedalus, in allusion to the
Inbyrintluform disposition of the hymenium.

Spec. Char. D.edalia betdlina. Pileus sessile, from two to four inches broad, corky-coriaceous, dimidiate,
zoned, tomentose or villous, deeply grooved concentrically, clothed with close coarse velvety down, greyish, pallid,
often green from the growth of minute parasitic algaj. GiUs nearly straight, slightly branched or anastomosing,
pale or tan coloured.
D.EDALIA betulina, BerJceley.
Agamcds betulinus, L'mnaus, Sowerhij.
Lexzites betulina. Fries.

Hob. On decaying wood, posts, &c., principally bii-ch ; perennial.

Badalias were formerly classed with Agarics, and in general configuration the present subject is
Agariciform, which made Fries place it apart, along with a few others in the class Letizife-i, intermediate
between Atjaricus and Folyporus. It is because in Lenzites there are no marginal pores, and the divisions
radiate giU-like from the base, that Fries expelled that class from under the great, head Polyporei; as
however their other botanical characteristics (the plates wluch form the hymenium being concrete, or of the
same substance with the pileus,) prevented their being placed among the Agaricini, they were in the case of
the notorious bat ; and our authorities are content to form one division of all the corky-coriaceous labyrinthine
species, and to call them DadaUa.

A Badalia then is a corky-coriaceous, generally dimidiate and sessile, but sometimes resupinate, and
sometimes confiuently stemmed fungus, resembling a Folyporus in general growth and appearance, but instead
of the under surface remaining pored, it assumes a labyrinthine configuration ; however it may alter in the
course of expansion, or the processes become lengthened with age, they never make pipes terminating in a
plane of circular orifices for an under-surface, as a Folyporus does, but irregular involved cavities like a maze,
the complicated wards of a key, or sinuous elongated cells with their dissepiments resembling clumsy gOIs,
as in our present subject B. betulina. Whatever the configuration of the sinuses may be, the hymenium
lines them, and the spores may be found on a piece of glass, deposited as they are from an Agaric. The
handsomest of the Enghsh Dadalias is Querciita (which we shall present to notice hereafter), and it exem-
plifies the character of the class much better than B. betulina does. Others are very complicated and elegant

iu their involved patterns and minute development. B. hiennis gro«s on the ground from the buried
roots of trees, not uj)oii the timber, and is sometimes very handsome with a number of pileated fronds, and
confluent stems ; at others a shapeless irregular mass, involving twigs and blades of grass in its effused mass.
B. unicolor grows on stakes &c., as Polyporm versicolor docs, and in extreme youth may be taken for it; but
the adult Beedalia \\z& small, tiexuous, maze-like divisions teneath, having lost the distinct pores, like pin-
holes, which the Pofj/porns always retahis near the margins, how ragged and jagged soever age and insect
devastations may ha\e rendered the central portions.

None of the small JJaihifias are of any use that we are aware of, and probably possess no active qualities.
B. unicolor on being broken across in the middle of December, invariably contained two or three maggots,
as large as plump grains of wheat, in each pileus, not of greater dimensions than a shilluig ; under the convex
velvet tile, they had a safe and warm winter roof, l)ut not much spare room. It is very diflicult to get a
section of B. unicohir, not injured by the gnawing of these larvae.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXIX.

POLYPORUS HISPIDUS, i?«//.«.^.

Hispid Polyporus.

Gen. CJiar. Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores with thin
simple dissepiments. Name from ttoXus, many and nopos, a. pore, in allusion to the many pores of the Hymenium.

Spec. Char. P. hispidus. Pileus a foot or more across, about four inches thick, pulvinate, dimidiate, but
occasionUy with an obsolete ku'ob-Kke stem, often imbricated, fonning very large masses. The upper surface
generally shaggy or hispid, but sometimes almost smooth and cracking. Colour varj'ing from yellow to rich red,
brown, or black. Pores very minute, at fu-st pallid, then yellow, ft-inged. Substance fleshy, but spongy, elastic, and
fibrous, red, yellow, or brown-red. Tubes an inch long at their greatest depth, the same colour as the flesh. Spores
yellow.

PoLYPORUs hispidus, Fries, Grevilk, Berkeley.
Boletus hispidus, BulUard, Bolton, Jf^itJieririff.

— ■ velutinus, Sowerby, TFitJiering .

spongiosus, L'ujMfoot, TFithering.

villosus, Hudson, Withering.

Hah. On trunks of various trees, Apple, Ash, Elm, &c. ; summer and winter. Annual.

Few Folyponises of the larger kinds differ more from each other than P. hispidus does from itself^
accordiug to tlie position it occupies on the trunk, tlie species of tree producing it, and its stages of gi-owth.
Withering lias given three graphic descriptions of it, as B. Msjndns, B. sponyios/is, and £. velutinus, chai'ac-
teristics of various specimens falling under liis observation, and which he suggested might prove to be the
same Fungus, as it is now decided they are. The portrait before us was taken at Avington, Hants, in
August, 1846. The original grew deep in the cavity of an Ash tree, and possessed all the laxuriance and
brilliancy of youth, in which state none of its relatives surpass it in beauty. Only a portion of an immense
mass is depicted ; " it was so juicy and tender, turning dark-brown at the slightest touch, that it was most
difficult to preserve any of it to paint." "The upper surface was most beautiful, rich tawny orange-plush
with velvet margins. The tubes are in the centre, nearly an inch deep, and their orifices consist, as it were,
of a film of wliite velvet, which is only superficial, the tubes themselves being red like the substance of the
pileus, which almost resembles raw meat, dotted with the yellow contents of the tubes."

During the same season a splendid mass of our poor friend, served for some days as a foot-ball in the
meadow where it grew, to a family of young people ; and this trivial anecdote is mentioned, as exemplifying
the texture of the pileus, light, elastic, spongy, but not easily ruptured, nor giving out its juices so as to soil.

although the quantity of liquid contained in the substance might be expected to flow out, as it does from
that of Tohjiwrus suJ_phnrev.s or FisfuUna hejMtica. In age it is much more dense, but still fibrous. A
representation of it in this state shall be shortly given, since otherwise the student may be greatly perplexed
in determining varying specimens of a Polyporus, sure to attract attention, as much as its beauty deserves it.
Our present subject is Boletus velutimis of Sowerby, who thus describes it : " Tliis Boletus has a pileus in its
early state so very like velvet, that the name could not be more apt ; when more advanced, it almost deserves
the term liispid, as it resembles plush ; afterwards it becomes black and rots ; the pores being at fii-st of a
wliitish or hght yellow-colour and short ; they grow longer and browner till they emit a yellow powder, which
is more easily seen, when its weight causes the threads of the spiders, which have run over the pores, to hang
down in festoons like B. hepaticus. The edges of the pores are sometimes perceptibly fringed. This Fungus
grows most commonly on Ajiple trees, and sometimes to a very large size." The Boletus spongiosus of
Lightfoot and Woodward, cited by Withering under the head "tubes wliite," is our youthful Polyporus
hispiidus, before the mouths of the tubes have opened to emit the yellow spores, which colour them at a
later date. This is stated to be " very elegant when young, turning quite black when old ; and on Ekns,
frequently to be seen as large as a peck measure, or to exceed the trunk of the tree in diameter."

As Boletus hispidus of Bolton, Withering also places it among the " red-tubed " species. In age this is
not an incorrect statement, but it shows that the colour of the tubes is useless as a botanical distinction, par-
ticularly when, as is often the case, the orifices of the said tubes are of a different colour from the piped part
itself. We have had the wJiife state of the pored hj-menium, and the old dusky red state alluded to in the
above synonymes of P. hispid/is. In the yelloio state, which is the perfection of the plant. Withering de-
scribes it with liis usual felicity, under the head B. velutinus. " Tubes bright gold-colour, changing to a
brown-yeUow, half an inch long. Pores irregular in size, angular, light greyish-brown, apparently woolly, largest
towards the end of the pileus and oblong. Pileus a very large mis-shapen mass, covered with a stiff plushy
pile consisting of upright hairs, a quarter of an inch liigh. Colour silvery grey or greenish, changing to
brown-orange, and at length black. Sometimes twelve inches by seven and tiled one over the other ; the
surface rather like a sponge, porous and cavernous ; the colour varying from grey to green, from red-brown
to orange-brown. Ilesli several inches thick, chocolate-coloured with a rich red tinge, juicy. In the younger
state of the plant, the pile on the pileus consists of all colovu-s from pale yellow to deep brown-orange, and
when magnified appears composed of stars radiating from a centre. It is very beautiful seen tlu'ough an
eye-glass, but its beauty is soon destroyed on account of its tender juicy state. Mesh, tough, fibrous,
brown-yellow. On trees at Edgebaston. On the trunk of a fallen Oak, which had been stripped of its
bark about three years before, near Beoley in Worcestershire."

^

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Order Htmenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXX.

AGARICUS CINNAMOMEUS, z...

Cinnamon-flavoured Agaric.
Series Cortinaria.^ Sub-genus Dermocybe.'^

Geu. Char. Deemocybe. VeQ diy, arachnoid, very fugacious. Stem not truly bulbous, fibriUose, stuffed
when young. Pileus clothed with fibrillae, rarely with gluten. Gills unequal, rather broad, close.

Spec. Char. A. ClNN.4.M0MEtis. Pileus rich cinnamon-colour, two or three inches broad, slightly fleshy, silky,
tibrillose, convex when young, then obtusely umbonate, nearly plane, but the margins always slightly incurved, thin
iuid often splitting. GiUs adnatc, close, unequal, broad, ventricose, argillaceous cinnamon-colour when young, then
f(nTugiuous from the spores. Stem from two to three inches high, slender, equal, flcxuous, stuffed, (in age hollow,)
tibrillose, yellowish-einnamon, the base rufous (never white). Flesh compact, yellowisli, smell pleasant, flavour aro-
matic like cinnamon. Esculent.
Agaricus cinuamomeus, Lwiiaiis, Witherbuj, Greville, Berkeley, Fries, Persooii.

Hab. Plantations and heathy woods ; rare in the South of England ; under Firs in peat soil, Keston, Kent.
End of summer and autumn.

Agaricus cinnamometis does not owe its distinctive appellation to its colour alone, otherwise tlie liand-
some A. aimatocJielis miglit have contested the title with it. Indeed the colour of the latter more closely
resembles the spice, than does that of the true A. cinnamomeus, which has a tinge of deep yellow pervading
it, the expressed juice being of that hue ; and it will not require a very large organ of colour to see, that
canella, or cinnamon, has no yellow whatever entering into its composition. A variety is mentioned by Tries
having sanguine gills, and Withering calls them " deep tawny-red ; " so that the Agaric Mr. Stackhouse de-
scribed and which he found in Cornwall, appears to have been this " semi-sanguineous." In Scotland, according
to Dr. Greville, A. ciimamometis is frequent ; we found it once only at Keston, and those specimens accorded
exactly with Dr. GreviUe's description of the northern Fungus, and with that of Krombholz, not being so
red as Withering states. Krombholz's term " argillaceous cinnamon " describes the hue of the young gills very
exactly, but when stained by the red-ochraceous spores, they are darker. Tlie peculiar smeU and flavour of
cinnamon possessed by this Agaric in a fresh state, (we are not aware whether it retains it when dried,) is so
powerful, and so exactly like that of the spice, that it appears extraordinary it has not been generally

' From Cortina, a veil ; spores reddish-ochre. Veil arachnoid.
- From Sepfia, skin or membrane, and kij/3?), a head.

remarked by the authors who notice the Fungus. No other Agaric possesses a similar odour or taste, therefore
it is impossible to mistake it when found. According to Fries, Agaricus cinnamomeus grows in woods
ei-erj/where most copiously, but unfortunately for those in the South, who may wish to taste the " dainty
dish," his tverywhere means the polar side of 55° North Latitude. We do not intend to assert that it never
crosses this Hne, but sparingly, very seldom, and only in favoured cool spots where moisture of soil prevails,
as well as umbrageous shelter. It is collected in the Bohemian forests from July to October, particularly in
low, damp situations, where it invariably flourishes. It is gregarious in habit.

" The pleasant smell and savoury flavour " (in the opinion of our German friends) " render it a great
favourite in cookery ; it is generally stewed in butter, and is also served with sauce for vegetables." We
do not mean to sneer at the tastes of our continental authorities, but an English palate cannot be easily
reconciled to mixtures so strange to it. A poor English school-boy was complaining of Dutch cookery,
without receiving much attention, as anything very recherche in the style of a school cuisine is seldom
expected ; at last he did extort some pity : " But indeed. Mama, they send up the cauliflowers in cinnamon
sauce ! " If then any of our friends should find tliis excellent Agaric, we recommend that it should be cooked
very nicely in white sauce, but not that the cauliflowers should be sub-merged in the delicacy. Agaricus
cinnamomeus is not included among the esculent Italian mushrooms by Vittadini, or the French ones by
Persoon ; probably neither author had met with it. It has not recurred in the spot where it grew at Keston
some years ago, and therefore, although Mrs. Hussey does not in the least question its good qualities, she
thinks it better to disclaim being any authority for its use, not having had an opportunity of trying the
experiment upon herself, as in promise and duty bound to do.

Mate, JDIXI.

PO":

y p o r as hi st)i dus , BzoUy. var .

E.eeve,Bcnhaitt &B^eve,iinp.

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXI.

POLYPORUS HISPIDUS, 5*r^.

Hispid Folyjjorus.

Gen. Cliar. Hymeuium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores with thin
simple dissepiments. Name fi'om ttoXv?, many and rrdpos, a pore, in allusion to the many pores of the HjTnenium.

Spec. Char. P. hispidus. Pileus a foot or more across, about four inches thick, pulvdnate, dimidiate, but
occasionally with an obsolete knob-like stem, often imbricated, forming very large masses. The upper sm-faee
generally shaggy or hispid, but sometimes almost smooth and cracking. Colour varying from yeUow to rich red,
brown, or black. Pores very minute, at fii'st pallid, then yellow, fringed. Substance fleshy, but spongy, elastic and
fibrous, red, yellow, or brown-red. Tubes, at their greatest depth, an inch long, the same colour as the flesh.
Spores yellow.

PoLYPORUS hispidus, Fries, Berkeley, Greville.
Boletus hispidus, Bulliard, Bolton, TTitherin-g.

velutinus, Sowerby, Witliering.

vdlosus, Hudson, Witliering.

spongiosus, Lightfoot, Witliering.

Halt. On trunks of various trees, Apple, Ash, Elm, &c. ; summer and autumn. Annual.

The accompanjing plate represents Polijporas kisjiidns in an aged state, being Boletus spongiosus of
Lightfoot and Woodward, " very elegant when young, turning quite black when old," when it is scarcely
recognizable for the same fungus, which decked in orange and crimson plush or velvet, soft, elastic, and
losing its delicate hues and texture with the slightest touch, suggested one of the gayest drawings in our
Mycological Portfoho. In the state now depicted we also see Boletus hispidus of Bolton, given by Withering
in his section " tubes red," the yellow spores having been long shed, and the dcKcate fringes of the pores
obliterated. Hardened and consoUdated by age, the substance is tough and fibrous, (not smooth and corky,)
when divided, and shrinks into much smaller dimensions than it possessed in the youthful state. Tliis
elderly example grew high upon an Ash, and enclosed the Ivy in its increasing volume ; but so easy and
gentle is the mamier in which this is performed, that leaves and tender shoots are scarcely displaced, but
remain green and flourishing, when we should have expected to find them suffocated in a deadly embrace.
Many of the Tolyporus tribe have this habit as well as B. Jtispidus, so that it is not in any way distinctive.
The Ash according to our experience is the favourite habitat or nurse of the Tungus ; where a limb has
decayed in an otherwise flourishing tree, it may be found growing, generally at some feet from the earth,
often as much as twenty or tliirty. It is from the inspection of specimens differing so much in condition.

as to lose tlieir superficial resemblance to each otlieXj that an opinion prevails of the great uncertainty and
sportiveness of Pungus growths. It is quite true those in question chifer, and the notices of them differ still
more ; but let a Sun-llower be described in fuU blossom, with its glory of yellow petals, and centre of florets
sparkling with poUen ; then a month after when all this is gone ; and again in winter when the honey-comb
of cells remains empty of seeds. These states are no sportive disease or change in the plant : notliing but a
smile would greet the observer who fancied these three Sun-flower heads were not the same tiling; that a
Sun-flower sometimes made a change in its economy by producing seeded heads, at others empty-celled ones,
instead of the sun-Uke disc from which it gained its name.

Poli/poriis kisjndus is so handsome, that its being of no known utility may be excused, even by the
utflitariaus. Every object in Natui-e, however, which by its attractiveness of colouring, remarkable configu-
ration, or other striking peculiarity, induces us to study Nature's works, is useful. TAat is an end for its
existence, were there no other, and perhaps there is none : t//at si(ffices. The languid duty walk ; the apathy
towards plants and simple objects in the path ; the dulness of the country without society ; the weariness of
mind which only brightens at the excitement of romances : all who, possessing themselves healthy minds, pity
(for they are miserable objects of pity) those who suffer under tliis mental and moral sickness, will by their
influence attempt to spread a taste for studies which must act as the surest " medicinal balm." Children
always take a strong interest in the pursuits of theii- seniors ; and should early be taught the valuable lesson
contained in "Eyes and no Eyes." In whatever district they may reside, some external pursuit, or object wiU
present itself, and habits of observation, and amusing tastes may be formed, useful tlu-ough life for the same
end. But if Mama object to the little fingers wliich present her a Eungus, that it has soiled the glove, or
forget the Eossil because chalk pits make jackets dusty ; if servants are allowed to walk ■nith the children
strictly in hand, and to scold at stepping across a ditch for the flower : Mama must not in reason complain
if the " Young Lady " be as vapid as the description we have given above ; and, in after years, unamusable,
delicate, repining, and should cause constant uneasiness and anxiety, instead of finding occupation and a
charm in everj-thing ; " The life of the house."

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Order Hvmenomycetes. Tribe Cupulati.

pLAtE XXXII.

BULGARIA INQUINANS,Per.oo.

Pitch-black Bulgaria.^

Gen. Cliar. Cup at first closed ; Asci immersed, at length free and bursting forth. Gelatinous ; name from
Bulga, a leathern bag.

Spec. Cliar. Bulgaria luatiNANS. Top shaped, firm, tough, elastic, gelatinous, dark brown or chocolate ;
externally rough, rugulose, fm-furaceous umber ; disc nearly plane, sometimes lacunose, smooth and shining, pitch-
black ; stem in general blunt, almost obsolete, sometimes fasciculate and confluent.
Bulgaria inquinans, Fries, Berkeley.
Peziza inquinans, Persoon.

nigra, BulUard.

polymorpha, Withering, Sowerly.

Hah. On PoUards and felled trees. Autumn and winter.

There are only two of this family known in England, Bulgaria inquinans and Bulgaria sarcoides : the
latter cannot be mistaken for its relative; but a totally different Fungus, Tremella fimlriata, has been so by
cursory observers, therefore it appears necessary to point out the distinction between them, as they are
members of very distinct natural tribes, the Cupulati and the Tremellim. Bulgaria is a division of the
Cupulati, having the reproductive bodies situated in their concavity, which is more or less closed when
young ; iu the Tremellini there is no concavity, except such as may be artificially formed by the folds and
wrinkles of the mass, upon the external surface of which the spores are placed. Bulgaria is a top-shaped
cup, fUled with dense jelly iu which the spores are immersed; Tremella fimbriata is not a cup at aU; it was
for some time doubtful whether it was a British Fungus, but that is placed now beyond all question. It
abounded at Hayes, in the winter of 1846-7, on oak-poUards feUed the previous season, but not denuded
of their bark. When moist it is gelatinous and elastic; when dry, extremely brittle, corrugated and
gathered in plaits to one point, and this point is inserted stem fasliion, (but is not a true stem,) into the
fissures from which it springs. Whole lines of it filled up the deep channels cracked in the bark. Wlien
dry, under the microscope it resembles a shining brilliant lump of coke ; it gives a tint to water Kke pale
sherry. Bulgaria inquinans likewise tinges water in the same manner, and melted down is a good
substitute for Indian Ink or Sepia, working very pleasantly, and as if gum were mixed in common water-
colour ; run do\\Ti iu this manner the substance is elastic and might be taken for Lidian rubber, but is not
so tough ; it has no unpleasant taste or smell, and possibly may be nutritious, but of this we know notliing.
Exidia glandulosa, another Fungus with which our Bulgaria when emptied of its contents may be con-
founded, belongs to the Tremellini.

The external coat of Bulgaria iiiquinans is bro'^yn not black, and sUglitly branny and rough ; if not a
beautiful Fungus, there is nothing repulsive about it, and as our object is to display, as far as our means ^vill
allow, the great variety of Nature's works in this neglected field. Mycology, it may often happen that in
carrying out the design, the showy and attractive ■nill be obhged to stand aside for a httle time, till the
imobtrusive have liad attention bestowed on them.

The Bulgaria we are now considering, grows out from beneath the bark, taking its origin between
that and the wood, and finding its way to the surface, where the natural fissures give it an easier task.
Mr. Berkeley states that it is " not imcommon," but at Hayes we have only tviace found it, both times on
felled wood, from wliich it had pushed the decaying bark by its increase in volume. Very wet weather
evidently favours its developement, by swelling the tough elastic substance of the Fungus, as well as
softening and loosening the fibres of the bark. It appears late in autunui and endures through the winter,
shrinking into very small dimensions duruig frost, and expanding again under the influence of warm
showers. In spring the empty cups may be seen, spht, rolled back, divested of their contents, and of so
much of their character, that they may considerably perples the student ; it is always pleasant to " make
out" an object, to "solve a puzzle," and "conquer a difficulty;" a determination to do these tilings is
right in students of all branches of knowledge, otherwise we must candidly avow, and the most bigoted
Mycologist should admit, that error in tliis particular case is of no consequence to the general welfare of
mankind.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXIII.

POLYPORUS SQUAMOSUS, M..«.

Scali/ Poh/porus.

Oert'^Cluxr: Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores with thin
simple dissepiments. Name from nokvi, many, and n-dpos, a pore, in allusion to the many pores of the Hymenium.

Spec. Char. Polyporus squamosus. Solitarj' or imbricated ; from a scaly blackish knob arise one or more
stems ; when full gi-own, pileus broad, pale ochre with scattered brown adpressed scales ; stem blunt, sub-lateral,
pores pale, large, angular, very irregular towards the stem. Smell powerful ; spores white.
Polyporus squamosus, Dies, Berkeley, Greville.
Boletus squamosus, Hudson, TFitJiering, Sowerby.
polymorphus, BulUard.

Hob. On decaying timber, principally Ash. Summer and early autumn ; sometimes forming immense masses.
Annual.

In a quarto plate it is impossible to give an adequate representation of the gigantic growtlis classed
under tlie general head Polyporus ; and this is one of that number ; there are few persons, however, who
will not immediately recognize an old acquaintance in our specimen. Although very common, and to the
botanist, therefore, an object of small interest, it is brought forward to show to the uninitiated the various
styles of developement these Tunguses present. Except in as far as the size of the masses they form is
concerned, there is little in common to the external appearance of P. squamosus, P. dryadeus, and P. his-
pidus. The substance of P. squmnosus differs much from the two others, being less persistent, never woody,
but often flaccid, or tough, leathery, and stringy ; and the pores instead of being minute, as in those varieties,
are large, angular, and jagged, like those of some of the soft fleshed Boletuses. Although tough and leathery,
P. squanwsris easily becomes the prey of insects ; the growth of a beautiful mass, springing from a perfectly
defunct pollard-ash, being watched carefidly in 1846, on the 21st of July was in perfection, on the 31st
riddled in every direction by larvae and decajing fast ; of course the destruction would not have been so
rapidly effected at a later period of the season, when insects are not so active, but at all periods this Fungus
is a favourite resort for them.

Strange things have been eaten by the truly hungry, stewed saddle-flaps, perhaps, in a besieged city, and to
these we suspect P. sqitat?iosus has a strong resemblance ; the statement of Mons. Eoques is so decided as to
its being used as food in France, that an inveterate devourer of Funguses, full of faith, insisted on trying the
experiment, but mastication was out of the question, and the flavour by no means tempting. On cutting
across the stems of a growing mass, a considerable quantity of very viscid sweetish liquid flowed out, the

sap of the poor old Ash Pollard, apparently not much modified, but it was not subjected to strict chemical
analysis ; it could not be turned to any use we could discover. Wlien boiled down it resembled bad treacle,
but possessed none of the quahties or flavour of ketchup.

The stems when properly prepared, furnish razor strops ; to tliis end it is necessary that the substance
should be fully ripe, otherwise it is too succulent and shi-inks; pieces free fi'om insect holes should be
selected, and slowly dried beneath heavy pressure ; afterwards they may be pared down to a plane surface,
proper for use. We have a piece gathered by a friend forty years ago, and used as an admirable sharpener
of pen-knives ever since ; it is not corky in texture, not being so elastic or impressionable ; but approaches
more nearly to the best sole-leather.

With regard to the dimensions acquired by P. squamosus, in the lane between Hayes and Addington,
in 1846, twenty-five pounds of fresh flourishing lobes were taken from one old Ash stump, and even larger
remains of a previous season's growth were visible. In Hooker's Flora Scotica mention is made of a mass
wliich acquired the weight of thirty-four pounds in three weeks, and measured seven feet five inches in cir-
cumference ; the more usual mode, however, in which it extends is in length, imbricated upwards and down-
wards, and it appears on the same tree for several successive seasons. Monstrous specimens of this Folyporus,
prevented from taking their natural expansion into a true pileus, and therefore acquiring a cristate or palmate
shape, (as is the case with P. snlphureus) have been erroneously considered as distinct species, and variously
named accordingly. B. Bangiferinus is one of these, and several other examples occur in the old authors.
The peculiar odour of our present PoJyporm is not easily described : Withering calls it a " rank Fmigous
smell." The scent serves to distinguish it decidedly from any other, and no one considers it agreeable.
" Pileus pale buff, with feather-Kke scales of a deeper dye, sometimes with a tinge of red, semi-circular, or
fan-shaped, from five to fourteen inches over. Flesh wliite, firm, elastic. Stem lateral, dark-coloured,
wliite withm, from one to two inches long and as much in breadth." To these particulars it only now ,
remains to add, that a greenish hue is given to old plants by minute Algse, and one pileus lying over
another frequently deposits upon it a wliite bloom or dust which is the ejected spores.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXIV.

BOLETUS BOVINUS,z

inn.

Cow Boletus.

Gen. Char. Hymenium distinct from tlie substance of tlie pileus, consisting of distinct separable tubes. Name
from fiwXos, a iall, from tlie rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Cliar. B. bovinus. Gregarious, sometimes two or tbree fasciculate. Pileus from two to four inches
broad ; at first hemispherical, then expanded, rather pulvinate, but the margins incurved ; reddish-buff or the
colour of a hah" burned brick (gilvus), viscid flesh from one to one and a half inch thick, tender, soft, varying from
nearly white to pale yellow, darker beneath the epidermis, not turning blue, but acquiring a slight vinous tinge.
Tubes sub-decurrent, compound, large, angular, shallow, not easQy separating from the flesh of the pileus, grey-
yeUow then ferruginous ; spores pale. Stem from two to fom- inches high, ft'om half to three quarters of an inch
thick in the middle, foi: the most part equal, but in young specimens sometimes bulbous at the base, thickening
above and diffusing itself into the pileus, smooth, elastic, firm, ribbed, of a paler shade than the cap. Taste and
smell, sweetish, agi-eeable. Esculent.
Boletus bo\dnus, Linnmus, Fries, Berkeley, Greville.
gi'egarius, Flora Baiiica, Tf'ilhering.

Hah. In heathy pine woods ; summer and autumn. Rare in the South of England.

Krombliolz, who has given a very minute description of tlus Boletus, says that it is sought for as a
dish, and is good dried ; we have not found it plentiful enough in Kent to spare any for the table, but no
other cause would make us hesitate to eat what is so decidedly recommended by good authority. The
internal evidence is completely in its favour, both taste and consistency being very agreeable, and the flesh
does not assume that blue tinge on being broken or cut, which, whether with reason or not, prepossesses
against the individual subject to the change. External recommendations we cannot say it possesses, nor do we
consider it an " elegant species " except on paper ; the sticky nature of the epidermis causing grains of earth,
dead fii'-needles, and pieces of grass, ruptured by its pushing upwards, to adhere to it, in a Tom o' Bedlam
coronal, by no means adding a grace to its attractive pileus. In some of the Boletus family the coat of
gluten covering the pileus is of a darker shade than the substance it lies upon, but in Boletus bovinus it is
colourless, and this is one mark of distinction, besides others, between it and B. granulatus as well as B. lutens.
They all belong to Fries' class Yiscipelles, and although their slimy coats may occasion prejudice, are
excellent food, if gathered before the ravages of insects commence ; to these they are very subject, and not
unfrequently a fine perfect-looking specimen crushes to pieces at the touch, the very ghost of a Fungus,
entirely without substance, though retaining the outward shew of one. The derivation of the name is not

quite clear ; B. graimlatus affords milk, which, drying in little grains, gives cause for that designation, and
we might fairly enough suppose Linnasus considered that species as Vaccine, when he gave the Bovine title
to its nearest of kin. But there is also a Boletus vaccinus, which yields no milk, but is chesnut or red-cow
coloured, and it is alleged that our Bovinus is similarly named from its hue ; the latter Boletus is not, however,
of the dark red-brick shade we see in cattle, but what the German authorities style " gilvus," the colour of a
half-baked brick, reddish-bufi", and when once known it cannot be better pictured to the mind than by that
simple word. Boletm pacliyjms, already given, and Agariciis aimatochelis are examples of "gilvus." This
is a colour met with often enough among kine, particularly of the Guernsey breed, and is probably common
in Sweden, but must not in the present case be confounded with the deep red-chalk hue of the Bovine
glories of Herefordshu'e.

On cutting across Boletus bovinus, it will be found that the large irregular pores are each the orifice of
several tubes running into one, or compound tubes ; it is an excellent example of the structure ; the flesh is
pale yellow, and gro\\ s whiter by exposure to the air, acquiring also a vinous tinge. Krombholz, who notices
these particulars, mentions also that "the base of the tubes turns bluish very seldom," but tliis implies that it
does change to that colom- sometimes, a fact we have never verified. Casual observation might confound
with it B.pijieratus, which has also a coarsely-pored under-surface and nearly the same coloured pileus, but
gold-yellow tiesh, and a very biting taste, like capsicum.

In the clear northern climates, where these Tunguses can attain perfection, without becoming the prey
of such innumerable swarms of larvje, they must be extremely valuable ; they abound in pine forests, and
are gregarious. In the sub-alpine part of Scotland, Boletus (loinnus is common, according to Dr. GreviUe :
indeed, it seems a very favourable site for all the tribe, although it is to be feared their good qualities are
not appreciated there.

\

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXV.

AGARICUS ^RUGINOSUS, c«r^..

Verdigris Agaric.
Series Pratella.' Sub-genus Psaliota.^

Spec. Char. A. jiecginosus. Pileus one to four inches broad ; yellowish, smeared with blue, more or less
persistent, gluten which gives it a green tint ; fleshy but thin, convex, expanded ; when young sometimes covered
above the gluten with pure white scales, the remains of the veil. Gills umber, or purplish-umber, plane or very
slightly ventricose, adnate with a small tooth ; margin white, pulverulent, or with the remains of the veO attached
in fragments. Stem two or three inches high, from a quarter to half an inch thick ; rooting by a few branched
white fibres, straight or flexuous, sometimes sub-bulbous ; at first scaly, scales reflesed, then more or less smooth with
various tints of blue, green, or yellow ; at first stuffed, then hollow ; mottled with blue within, the centre white.
Ring in general fugacious ; smell rancid.

Agaeicus eeruginosus, Curtis, Fries, Berkeley, Greville, Sotcerby, Withering.
cyaneus, Bolton, Withering.

Hab. Among grass and sticks, near hay-stacks ; in woods and fields ; late summer and autumn, very common.

Prom the stout handsome Agaric of a bright verdigris tiat, with pure white fragments of the veil in rehef
upon stem and pileus, to the slender, dull-straw-coloured, sticky, insignificant specimens (turned disdain-
fully out of the collector's basket, with "only that tiresome Mruginosus again !") the varieties are numerous.
And why is the poor Fungus " tiresome ? " Because, when Agarics are scarce and anxiously hunted for, it
wiU present itself, not only in proper garb, but in all states of undress, seducing the unwary by resem-
blances to other Agarics, or to notliing seen before, holding out the hope of " novelty," a hope strong in
the breast of every Mycologist. With its face washed clean by the rain, a small one puts on the yellowish
face of A. semi-globatiis ; a large one, that of A.pracox; but while the blue veil continues to envelope it,
our Agaric is a very distinct and characteristic species. The green hue is given by the intrinsically yellow
pileus shewing through the blue gluten. In spite of the said gluten being a repulsive feature in itselfj
rendering the touch unpleasant, A. aruginosm is, when in full and fresh perfection, a very elegant and
striking member of the Fungus family, particularly wlule the wliite fragments of the veil, and its debris

' From pratum, pasture ground. VeU not arachnoid. GUIs changing colour, clouded, at length dissolving.
Spores dark, brown-purple, or nearly black.

2 From -^akiov, a ring or collar. Veil forming a ring, sub-persistent, really partial. Stem firm, sub-equal,
distinct from the pileus. Pileus more or less fleshy, convex, then campanulato-expanded, viscid or clothed with
squamules or fibrUlEe. GiUs fixed or free, broad, becoming brown. In some species there are the rudiments of a
universal veil.

attached to the stem, remain in purity ; they are very evanescent, the ring disappearing ahnost entirely, lost
and deliquescing in the moisture. In age, not only the wliite fragments of the ring and veil have dis-
appeared, but in general the shmy envelope also, remaining only in brownish films or fibrillse, and the whole
plant has become a dingy yellow, or is bleached to dirty white. The gills which at fust are paUid, rather hlac
in some cases, changing as the spores ripen, are eventually brown-purple. It must not be forgotten that
this changeable nature of the gills is caused in most instances by the spores acquiring maturity, and also that
the intrinsic colour of the spores themselves can only be ascertained by careful examination, when they have
been deposited on some proper medium ; for if the giU have a colour of its own, it will deceive the judgment
by shewing through the spores : for instance, the red-brown gill of the common Mushroom gives an effect
to the hj-menium, wliich is not the true shade of the spores ; they, when perfectly ripe, are not, as commonly
described, purple-hrmim, but on the faith of an artist's eye (whose organ of colour has not been perverted),
of a rich Vandyke-brown shade, not a particle of red or purple entering into its composition.

The tinge of verdigris would deter all adventurous cooks from trjing the qualities of Agarims cerugi-
nosus, it is so connected with poisoning copper utensils, that unlucky green ! besides, the smeU like " rancid
ointment," gives an impression anjihing but provocative of an inclination to taste ; so as many persons are
resolute in beheving that toadstools are among the most unwholesome of Nature's productions, we will give
them leave to consider tliis one as bad as they please, hoping by sacrificing one unhappy scape-goat, to save
the rest of a tribe.

^

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXVI.

AGARICUS RADICATUS, i2./te.

Rooting Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.'

Sub-genus Clitocybe.^ Sub-division Rhizopodes.^

Spec. Cliar. A. eadicatus. Pileus tlu-ee inches or more across, at fii-st hemhpheincaUy convex, (not companu-
late) then flat, slightly umbonate, wrinkled from the centre, in age turned up at the margin ; when moist wry viscid,
smooth, (not tomentose) watery-umber with a semi-pellucid appearance. Flesh white, very thin, in old specimens
none. Gills watery-white or wax-colour, unequal, distant, veii/ricose, adnate with a tooth. Stem from four to eight
inches high, about a quarter of an inch thick, smooth like glass, (not velvety,) shining, twisted, splitting longitudin-
ally, tough, stu£fed with silky fibres, hollow in age, rufescent, equal, but thickening, at the base only, (not gradually
from the summit) into a fusiform, sub-bidbous root, terminating in a fibrous radicle, the whole root penetrating
about four inches into the earth.
Agaricus radicatus, Tries.

Hah. In parks and old woodlands, near trees, common ; autumn.

That Rellian's description of Agaricus radicatus includes the true Pungus intended above^ is probable ;
but he and several other authorities confound with it the very singular and interesting A.piidens of Persoon,
which Fries considers distinct fi'om this commoner Agaric.

Not to multiply species unnecessarily is an excellent rule ; but in these two plants there are some
differences so remarkable, that although they may fairly claim a brotherly relation, they can scarcely be the
same amiable individual, (Agaricus pudens,) wliich we shall hereafter present, to allow comparison, having
been fortunate in making a very characteristic portrait of it. It wlQ then be the proper time to discriminate
further the differences we have pointed attention to in the specific character of A. radicatus. To those
particulars there is little to add beyond what the drawing will supply. In a favourable state there is much
elegance about the form of the half-expanded pileus, and the plant carries itself gracefully, being nothing
like so fragile as it appears ; the tough t-nisted stem, indeed, cannot easily be broken asunder. It owes no

' From XevKos, white, and a-Tropos, seed. Spores white.

2 From kKitvs, a steep or declivity, and ku/Stj, a head, alluding to the shape of the pileus when young. Veil
none. Pileus convex when young, not umbihcate, at length depressed or infundibuliform. GiUs unequal, juiceless,
unchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free.

8 From piCa, a root, and TroCr, afoot. Pileus fleshy, viscid; Gills sub-adfixed. Stem rooting.

charm to mere colour certainly, and its viscidity when springing from the dewy autumnal grass, among the
early-faUen leaves, does not recommend it to the delicate fingers which have not yet conquered their repug-
nance to a little " clean dirt." We must confess that it is a puzzling dilemma to secure Funguses, however
rare and valuable to the collector, without some conscientious scruples, when the gloves are clean ! Supposing
the Mycologist to have grown quite reconciled to finger-contact with his treasures, with the soil in which
they are growing, or the wet decaying leaves that shroud them, and that unliesitatingly the glove is with-
drawn— how to put it on again is a problem very difficult of solution. Philosophically and chemically we
know there is no such thing as dirt ; yet substances exquisitely pure and clean in themselves may stain,
and stick, and injure, rendering dirty, by an improper combination, such as fingers with an earthy root, or
gloves with a viscid pileus. How to carry Agarics in a cambric pocket-handkercliief without reducing them
to a confused amalgamation of heads and tails, has hitherto puzzled all adventurers in that speculation ; but
there is a more serious question involved in the affair, as it is very unlikely that you providently stai-ted with
two pocket-handkerchiefs, how are you to procure the use of one ? The moral apphcation of all this is :
go out in season provided with gloves which are not to be injured by contact with a Toadstool, and a tool
capable of extracting even Agaricus radicatus without more Cahbanish use of the fingers than is desirable ;
do not break pen-knives in digging a foot deep, leaving root and blade in juxta-positiou, out of reach of that
brittle piece of stick you found for a substitute. Do not throw away the pudding-like mess you ha\-e
hitherto carried so patiently because all seem spoiled ; you are only tired ; some may be available and you
can take a basket next time. At any rate, do not finish by grumbhng at Agarics and the study of them,
because you have been mis-applying aU manner of means to gain an end, they were never calculated to help
you to. With Funguses tliis may be a joke ; but it is often carried into things far more important. We
neglect the " old experience " which has attained to " something like prophetic strain;" life passes in gaining,
or more truly " buying," experience for ourselves, till at last we have acquired wisdom to guide us safely,
if we raight pass through our career afresh. How many set off, taking no thought of "the tool," and the
" basket." A w"eary journey of life is theirs ! Vale ! gentle reader, may you avoid the error !

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3

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Cupulati}

Plate XXXVII.

PEZIZA AURANTIA, p.r~

Orange Peziza.
Series Aleukia.^ Sub-genus Megalopyxis.^

Gen. Char. Cup more or less concave, soon expanded, the disk naked. Name from Pezica, a word used by
Pliny to denote some fungus of this shape.

Spec. Char. Peziza aurantia. At first hemispherical, margin almost involute, nearly sessile or with a short
stem, oblique, irregular ; at length spUt, curled, and flexuous ; of the clearest orange colour within, externally whitish,
slightly pruinose or mealy with minute sparkling granules.
Peziza aurantia, Persoon, Fries, Berkeley, GrevUle.
coccinea, Sowerhy.

Ilah. About the roots of felled oaks. Autmnn.

" All the terrestrial Pezizas," says \''ittadini, " may be coUected and destined to the uses of the kitchen,
they are all innocent and approach in their qualities to the HelveUas and Morels." After this statement
our readers may feel more curiosity as to what a Peziza is. It is then a member of the great natural family
Cupulati, so caUed from their tendency to a cup shape, which have the hymenium superior, that is, tliis
membrane hues the inside of the cup, which in the expanded state is of course the upper surface ; the outer
or inferior smface is barren. The sporidia are contained in Asci or tubes, which are fixed by one end into
the hymenium, the other opening to emit these reproductive bodies, which fly out of the Asci in the form
of dust, when the mature Pungus is shghtly shaken ; but so minute are the tubes with their contents, that a
fine bloom spread upon a smooth surface is all the fructification presents to the naked eye. There are
neither gUls, pores, papUlse, nor any other configuration denoting its position. Many Pezizas are extremely
* minute, growing on the bark of trees or parasitically upon other vegetable substances ; it is only with the
larger terrestrial species that we are at present concerned. These are cup-shaped, occasionally irregular, and
variously lobed, but always gathered into a central point, whether that be or be not elongated into a stem ;
the cup is nearly of one imiform thickness, brittle and tender, sometimes inclined inwards, or conniveiit,

' Receptacle pateUiform, margined. Hymenium superior, more or less closed when young, and concave.
Sporidia contained in Asci.

2 From oKevpov, meal, fleshy or carnoso-membranaceous, pruinose or floccoso-furfuraceous from the concrete
veil.

^ From y.(yas, great, and n-vjis a cup. Cup open when young, or connivent. Veil superficial.

r^Lc o'^.^^.^^i^^^^^ ^ ^^^^,

.^.X^

but in age generally expanded, splitting, and lax. Some of the family are enveloped in infancy, before the
cup expands and loses its hemispherical shape, in a veil, which being ruptured and broken up by the growth
of the pUeus remains in floccose or furfuraceous fragments outside the cup. Of an elegant and interesting
family, Peziza aurantia may vie with the proudest member of it ; the tender wax-like outside of the cup
contrasting dehcately with the rich orange within ; it is, as it looks, extremely fragile. In a side-light a kind
of bloom, as upon fruit, may be detected upon the deep yellow interior, and by giving a gentle fillip it may
be made to lly off perceptibly ; of course this experiment vnW. not answer beyond a certain number of times,
the sporidia in each case being (according to Mr. Berkeley) only two in the present subgenus, so that the
supply win be speedily exhausted. This Peziza is not uncommon, but is nowhere in any great abundance,
and it is not a Fungus to escape notice ; probably it prefers rich soil, as most of the family do, the cool
heavy loam of some woodlands producing them more frequently than elsewhere. Of Peziza acetabulum, a
very curious variety, and considered by Vittadini as the esculent Peziza, a portrait shall in due time appear ;
before that, however, we wiU devote ourselves to the task of eating it, for we regret to say of our pretty
P. aurantia that it has never appeared here in sufficient quantity to make gustatory experiments upon ;
and the conscientious " Probatum est " must be withheld.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXVIII.

AGARICUS OREADES, 5.//.«

Champignons.

Series Leucosporus.'

Sub-genus Clitocybe.^ Sub-division Scortei.''

Spec. Char. Agaricus oreades. Pileus from half an inch to an inch broad, when young moist (not viscid), the
mai'giu striate, smooth, tough, elastic, convex, at length nearly plane, sub-umbonate, at first reddish bufl'-brown,
then becoming paler, cream-coloured, the umbo generally remaining darker than the rest of the pileus, like a
scorched patch. Flesh white, quite distinct from that of the stem. GiUs distant, free, ventricose, pallid cream-
colour, then whitish from the spores. Stem from one inch to two inches high, from two to three lines thick, equal,
solid, tough, slightly twisted, composed of fibres splitting longitudinally, the interior white and sUky, the bark
white, turning brown in age, downy at the base, with a few fibrous roots attached to the gi'ass, and particularly to
moss. Taste grateful, strongest when dried. Esculent.
Agaricus oreades, Bolton, Fries, Berkeley, Oreville, JT^itheriiig.

Pseudo-Mousseron, Bulliard, Persoon (Traite des Champignons).

,MotJSSERON godaUle, Faulet.

Hob. In pastures, on downs and commons, everywhere. Annual in increasing circles; "Fairy-rings."

Why, of all tlie esculent Fuugases, the French name " Champignon " should in England have become
affixed to the Agaricus oreades, is a question that may, perhaps^ be answered when we find out another
similar puzzle — why the common Muslu-oom came to be so called — that being equally unlike the Muslu:oom
from which its name has been corrupted. One thing is indisputably proved by these mistakes^ that the use
of the tribe as food was adopted from France, and we may suppose that the erroneous application of their
designations, arose from the place of the article enquired for by the foreign cook, being supplied by tlie
next best tiling that could be found as a substitute for it The true French Mousseron, A.prunulus of
Vittadini, A. Georgii of Fries, has never been eaten in England, although the best of its tribe, and abundant.
Agaricus campestris has usurped not only its place but its name ; while the proper name by which A. caiii-
2)es(ris is known in Paris, Champignon (generally cultivated for the markets as here, and then called Cham-
pignons de couche), is given by the English to everytliing they suppose eatable, and are afraid of, especially
our present subject, A. oreades.

' From XevKos, white, and a-nopos, seed. Spores white.

2 From (tXtVor, a steep or declivity, and Kv^rj, a head, alluding to the shape of the pileus when young. Veil
none. Pileus convex when young, not umbUicate, at length depressed or infundibuliform. Gills unequal, juiceless, .
imchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free.

3 From Scortens, coriaceous. Pileus sub-coriaceous, dry. GDIs free, sub-distant, at length pallid.

The French have several Agarics besides the true Mousseron which they call by that general name, with
the addition of some distinctive epitliet ; because they are aU dried for sale in a similar manner, and answer
a similar purpose in cookery. By Pseudo-Mousseron, the name applied to A. oreades by Persoon, he does
not mean to imply that it is false in any injuiious sense, but tliat it is employed as a substitute for the real one.

The true Champignon then of the French is our Mushroom, Agaricus campestris.

The true Mousseron of the French, Mousseron de printemps, is the Italian A.primulim, Agaricvs
Georgii ^ of Clusius and Fries.

The Mousseron Godaille, M. de Dieppe, M. pied dur, or ' M. d'Automne of the French, is our
A. oreades. Of the rest of the Agarics known as "Mousserons" in commerce, the identification with
English species is not satisfactorily made out ; they are all sold dried, brought from various quarters, under
vulgar local names, and being frequently cut in pieces to facilitate desiccation, are destroyed as botanical
studies. The best way to preserve A. oreades, is by running a thread through each pileus where the stem
ha* been removed, and hanging up the necklaces so formed in the sun and mnd tiU dry ; if, however, there
should be neither sun nor \vind, as often happens in the showery weather when they abound, these strings
may be attached to the waUs or ceihng of any apartment where there is a fire ; after being thoroughly dried,
a tin canister is the best thing to stow them away in for use. Withering strongly recommends them in the
form of powder, and his opinion is corroborated by excellent modern authority. In drying they deposit
their spores so plentifully upon each other, that a careless observer has thrown them away as mouldy.
Affaricus oreades springs up after thunder-rains during the entire period when such rains prevail. Very
rapidly developed by warm electric showers and a heated state of the earth, they are in a manner forced to
a much larger size than usual, being often from two and a half to tlu-ee inches across. Under these circum-
stances they are of more tender consistency, beautifully pure and cream-tinted; when skilfully fried in
fresh butter with simple pepper and salt, (having been dipped in egg, or not, previously, as approved), no
Fungus suqiasses them in delicacy, agreeableness, or wholesomeness ! As an excellent condiment, giving a
most gratefid flavour to gi-avies and soups, it is impossible to praise our humble down-trodden, neglected,
Champignon too highly ; its use would save many pounds of meat in the kitchen, even of the economical,
and improve the dishes of those who scorn to practice a careful virtue. Few are those now : a time of distress
and difficulty has taught all, that wasteful consmnption is a sin, and many will be glad to know that they
may not only use a neglected treasure of nature with great advantage to themselves, but create a trade for
tlie indigent in collecting it. Some years ago our curiosity was excited by seeing men employed at West
Wickham in filhng sacks witji this usually despised production ; on enquiring for what purpose they were
intended, the answer was, for a great a-la-mode beef house, they being "the secret" of that renowned dish,
which private cooks could never solve ; we hope they will be thankfid for our hint. It must be remarked
that long cooking destroys the aroma of Agaricus oreades, a very short period being requisite to obtain its
flavour. Although jielding so little liquid as not to be fit for ketchup alone, when mixed mth tjie common
Mushroom it greatly adds to the flavour, and an excellent white ketchup for fricassees may be produced by
macerating it in any common white wine and water in equal proportions, with sufficient salt to make the
mixture keep, which must be pressed and strained after being boiled in substance, and such spice as is
approved put into the bottles ; but for a lover of pure flavoui's, spice wiU spoil the sauce.

' This, the true A. Georgii, which was so called by Clusius, because it generally appears about St. George's day
(old style) the 23vd of April, has nothing to do with Sowerby's A. Georgii, a name erroneously attributed by him to
A. ari^emk, the Horse Mushroom.

FAIRY-RINGS.

A glance at the older volumes of the Pliilosophical Transactions will show of how little value specu-
lations are^ which have not actual observations for their basis. To recapitulate the various fancies recorded
on the subject of " Fairy -rings," would be waste of time and paper; the fact that A. oreades appears shortly
after thunder-storms, gave rise to an opinion that the withered grass of its circles was lightning-blasted,
and in Captain Brown's notes to Wiiite's Selborne, he quotes Mr. Johnson of Wetherby, a correspondent of
the Philosophical Journal, to this effect : — " He attributes them to the droppings of starlings, which when
in large flights frequently ahght on the ground in circles, and sometimes are known to sit a considerable
time in these annular congregations ! " If philosophy had but condescended to use a spade, the truth
would then have been scented at least, for the earth beneath these bare rings is white with the spawn of the
Agaric causing them, and the peculiar smell either of A. oreades or A. Georgn is detected instantly : in fact,
it is many times more potent than that of the Fungus itself ; this is the case during the dormant season, when
no pileus has shown itself for months. Wishing to exterminate some disfiguring rings of A. Georgn from
the lawn, it was needful not only to remove the turf, but to take out more than a foot deep of the mouldy-
looking fimgoid soil, for to that extent it was found full of the threads of spawn; and the smeU was almost
intolerable to the workmen, for the idea that it is a perfume is Italian, and not easily acquired. A. oreades
appeared in its usual well-defined rings on the same lawn in June 1847 ; after that, great drought prevailed,
so that none recurred till September, when instead of occupnng the early rmgs the new crop came through
the turf beyond them at a distance of five or six inches from the former Kne, shewing that during the dry
weather the spawn had extended beneath ; but for this interregnum caused by the drought, we could not
easily have estimated the rate of increase ; in general, the diameter of the ring steals gently on with every
summer rain. The earth permeated ^^^th spawn is always dry even in very wet weather ; this may weaken
the grass immediately above it, preparing the way for the multitude of little conical heads to push through ;
and the weakening of the grass encourages the growth of moss, whence comes the name " Mousseron," well
befitting these children of downs and woodlands, but iU applied to the Muslu'oom of our dungy pastures.
The propensity to form rings is common to a great number of Funguses ; small puff-balls and large, the Bluet
and the veritable Mushroom, probably all that increase beneath the soil, affect a circular increase, because,
beginning with a single plant or small group, the spawn would extend equally around (under fair circum-
stances), and continuing to seek fresh nutriment would form a larger radius, instead of faUing back upon
the exhausted centre : so annually the new ring is of greater circumference than the old, and the gi-ass grows
more luxuriantly within it from having been checked for a season. Vittadini tliinks that A. oreades derives
nutriment parasitically from the grass roots, and thus kills them ; he believes the downy fibres by which,
matting among the herbage, they sustain themselves upright, abstract its juices; but many Agarics stay
themselves thus among dead leaves and pebbles from which they can draw notliiug towards their sustentation.
The grass is not really killed, it is deprived of nourishment for a time, the Agarics absorbing it all to

themselves ; but when tliis is temporary or in moist weather, little trace of it is seen. A. Georgii makes
immense rings in whicli the robust family hudcUe so tliickly together, as must destroy the grass for the
season, in the same manner that A. oreades does, if the crop were repeated ; but it does not last long, being
merely vernal, so that by midsummer no trace of its giant circles remains. A. oreades keeps on injuring the
grass at intervals, so that it gets no opportunity of rallying throughout the summer ; but in winter and
early spring, it makes up for the temporary apparent death, and is doubly vigorous and green. This was
not the case when, to test an experiment reported of the effect of boiling water in accelerating the growth of
spawn, a philosophical friend created an artificial " Fairy-ring " by the tea-kettle spout : no " redoubled
vigour" succeeded to the temporary rest, but a bare, bald circle long reproached the unlucky experi-
mentalist, while Nature's " Fairy-rings " close by, stood up several inches higher than the rest of the lawn
in verdure !

Whether decayed Agarics are not excellent manure, may be liere enquired ? Probably they are, their
chemical composition warrants the supposition, and if so, the renewed vigour of the grass may be owing to
that quality in them ; they may " heal the wounds they make." That long lines and irregular forms are
described by Agarics instead of perfect circles, is owing to accidental causes ; in fact, their- various figures
are generally parts of injured or interrupted rings, and the patches are never of greater breadth than tlie
usual dimensions of the true ring. To remove them where unsightly, (and A. oreades abounds on lawns,)
digging completely out the space they occupy, is the only effectual plan ; no superficial treatment affects the
spawn beneath.

Of the Agarics we have brought together in one view to contrast with A. oreades, A. dealbatus is tlie
only one that imitates it in forming a " Fairy-ring."

§

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XXXIX.

[Agarics liable to be confounded with J. oreades.']

AGARICUS SEMI-GLOBATUS, ^«/.c/.

Hemispherical Affaric.
Series Pratella.' Sub-genus Psaliota.-

Sper. Char. A. semi-globatus. Pileus from half an inch to an inch or more broad, perfectly hemispherical,
yellow, viscid when moist, when cby shining as if varnished, smooth, fleshy ; flesh white beneath the epidermis,
umber near the gills. Gills very broad, aduate with a little tooth, minutely serrulate, plane, with a cinereous
tinge, mottled with the dark spores. Stem from two to three inches high, from one to one and a half line
thick, very viscid, shining when dry with a closely glued silkiness, fistulose, sometimes sub-bulbous, by the expansion
of the channel, at the root. Ring deflexed, more or less perfect, sometimes fragments remaining attached to the edge
of the pileus. Spores deep brown, frequently scattered on th^npex of the stem and the fragments of the ring.
Agaeicus semi-globatus, Batsch., Fries, Berkeley, Persoon, Greville, Withering.
virosus, Soicerhy.

Hah. Uich meadows, especially on horse-dung, on lawns, &c. ; from May to November. Dispersed ; never in

That this Agaric sliould ever have been mistaken for the Champignon seems incredible, and yet
Sovi'erby quotes it as most deadly, from several persons having been poisoned by its use. The ignorant
presuniptiou that could venture to collect for food, articles evidently so ill understood, cannot be too severely
censured, but it appears probable that it was not as Sowerby supposed with our A. oreades, the '■'' Mousseron
Godaille" that these dark spored Agarics were confounded; they were probably mistaken for the "Mous-
seron d'eau," which Paulet describes "from an inch and a half to two inches high, growing by thousands
one over the other without touching, in low damp places near woods ; pileus about one inch wide, at first
very white, but soon growing brown from the change of tint the giUs undergo, subject fi-om its tenderness
to crack ; gills at first flesh-colour, covered with a veil Kke a fine spider's web, growing dark brown, without
any vestige of the veil, unequal, not adnesed ; stalked about a line tliick, wliite, straight, cyhndric, nourished
by a small bulb, fistulose in age ; plant watery but dries well, and acquires a flavour of mushroom it had

' "Emva pratum, pasture ground. Veil not arachnoid. GiUs changing colour, clouded, at length dissolving.
Spores brown-purple, or nearly black.

^ From >|/'dXioi/, a ring or collar. Veil forming a ring, sub-persistent, really partial. Stem firm, sub-equal,
distinct from the pileus. Pileus more or less fleshy, convex, then campanulato-expanded, viscid or clothed with
squaniules or ilbrillae. GiUs free or fixed, broad, becoming brown. In some species there are the rudiments of a
universal veil.

not at first." Many points in this description suit both A. semi-globatus and A. Fanisecii, neither of which
resemble the Champignon, and where French people committed errors, as the poor emigi'ants did at Win-
chester, it was most likely this Mousseron d'eau, (of wliich the botanical identification is doubtful) wliich
they beheved they had found, and not the Mousseron Godaille. At any rate, it is well to repeat Mr. Berkeley's
caution, that people cannot be too careful in the use of dark-gihed Agarics ; none such can be the esculent
and agreeable A. oreades.

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

AGARICUS DRYOPHILUS, ^.//.V"./.

Oak-leaf Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.^

Sub-genus Clitocybe.^ Sub-division Chondropodes.^

Spec. Cliar. A. dryophilus. Pileus from one to two inches broad, at first hemispherical, then expanded,
plane, or even depressed in the centre, sub-carnose, yellowish, tinged with brown or red, growing paUid, smooth,
thin, tender, tough when dry. Gills pale straw-colour, very numerous, fine and close, broadest behind, neai-ly free
or sinnato-adnexed, with a small sub-decmTent tooth, entire or serrate. Stem two or three inches high, from a
quarter to a tliird of an inch thick, smooth, shining, equal, fistulose, inflated at the base; sometimes twisted, lax,
and tortuous, when tufted; of *he same colom- as the pQeus but growing rufous at the root. Spores white. Odour
fungoid ; taste nauseous, quality highly pernicious.
Agakicus dryophilus, BuUiard, Fries, Bei-keley, Greville, Soicerby, Withering, Persoon.

Hob. Among oak leaves, and in pine forests ; from May to October.

This is a very variable Agaric, and it is almost impossible to make a description of it more than
generally appropriate to the different specimens collected at jDeriods of dry or wet weather, among summer
mosses or autumnal leaves. One circumstance, however, will invariably serve to distinguish it from A. orea-
des; the close fine disposition of the gills, so different from the distant arrangement vrith broad irregular
spaces between them, which those of the esculent Tungus display. Another point to be remarked is, that
the stem of A. dryophilus is one of the best examples of the truly fisttdose or piped kind; while A. oreades
has a sohd stem, the outer bark of wliich, indeed, is tougher than the shining satiny internal fibres, but
still it is essentially solid, never hoUow except, like a tree, in extreme old age and decay. Our Champignon
too, though very brown when water-soaked, or dried, has never at any time the slightest tinge of red about
it ; the stem in particular is pure white while fi-esh, and acquires only a brownish hue in drying ; but Dr?/o-

' From XfUKor, white, and o-Trdpor, seed. Spores white.

2 From xXiVof, a steep or declivity, and Kv^rj, a head, pointing to the shape of the pileus when young. Veil
none. Pileus convex when young, not umbihcate, at length often depressed or infundibuhform. GOls unequal,
jruceless, unchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free. Spores white.

^ From xovSpos, a cartilage, and woiis, a foot. PUeus tougli, dry. GiUs nearly free, close. Extenial coat of
the stem sub-j?artiIaginous.

philus has always a red base to the stem, and that stem, moreover, is swollen into a sort of hollow bulb ;
several are frequently confluent at tliis thickened base, but Champignons, how closely soever they may grow in
the ring, are independent and may be separated from each other without violence. By its Jjne dose gills, its
piped stem, and reddened stoolleu base, tliis miscliievous Agaric may be distinguished from the wholesome cue
with certainty. That the bad character given of A. dnjopliilus is deserved came under our own observation.
About a dozen of them were eaten by mistake for Champignons by an elderly gentleman, whose sense of odour
and taste were considerably impaired ; at the moment no unpleasant effect was produced, but some time
afterwards a sense of burning in the fauces and suffocation caused great apprehension. It subsided, however,
under proper treatment with no ultimate bad result ; without instantaneous remedies the termination raigiit
have been fatal ; the best and simplest is a tea-spoonful of ready-made mustard in a tumbler of warm water,
notliing being certain to prevent bad effects, but removing the came of them by an immediate emetic.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

AGARICUS FyENISECII, Pmo«..

Eddish Agaric.
Series Pratella. Sub-genus Psilocybe.'

Spec. Char. A. FjEnisecii. Pileus fi-om one to two inches broad, sub-carnose, hemispherical, semi-ovate or
rnmpauulate, the margin transparent and minutely grooved by the backs of the gills beneath ; brown umber turning
paler, banded with various shades of brown when losing its moistm'e ; in decay it has a bm'ned appearance, and at
length dries up and is black. GUIs adnexed, distant, broad, ventricose, mottled umber, the extreme margins white.
Stem from two to three inches high, one and a half line thick, naked, smooth, nifescent-umber, sub-flexuoiis, fis-
tulose, at first slightly pulverulent, the apex striate, the base cottony. Spores black.
Agaricus Fteniseeii, Persoon, Berkeley.

Hah. Among short grass upon lawns, &c., after contmued rain in spring, summer, and autumn ; dispersed
freelv, never in rings.

To Mr. Berkeley's excellent description of tliis Agaric, wliich grows frequently on the same sites as the
Champignon, there is Kttle to add. It is an elegant httle species, and generally campanulate, though some-
times of the other forms mentioned ; in drying it often cracks at the apex, and when more than usually
saturated with rain inclines to so deep a brown as to be nearly black, but is at no time viscid.

Eddish is an old English word for latter-math, the sort of grass tliis Agaric prefers to the ranker
unmown herbage. Of its qualities we know nothing ; it resembles one of the very imperfect delineations
given by Sowerby, as portraits of poisonous Agarics mistaken for Champignons ; but no further difference
need be pointed out, than that the spores are hlach in A. Fanisecii instead of white, as ia A. oreades.

' Erom •^iKos, naked, and Kv^rt, the head, or pileus. Veil marginal, thin, flocculose, very fugacious. Stem
hollow, rarely stuffed, when young tough, equal, sub-fibrOlose, often viscid. Pileus conic or convex, then expanded,
almost distinct from the stem. Gills rather broad ; substance tough, persistent, never dehquescent.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

AGARICUS DEALBATUS,to%

Dirty -loliife Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Dasyphylli.'

Sjiec. CItur. A. dealbatus. Pileus from three-quarters of an inch to two inches broad, white, greyish cream-
colour, or tinged with rose ; at first convex, then plane, orbicular, the extreme margin only involute, or variously
repand, lobed, and undulate ; sometimes depressed from the turning up of the margins, which in age are entirely
unrolled ; dry, smooth, shining, but clothed with a minute farinaceous sUiiness, which turns brown when bruised
and retains the impression of the fingers ; in wet weather water-soaked in concentric zones, forming small ridges
when dry. Flesh thin, pallid. Gills adnata, not decurrent, though apparently so in aged specimens, fi'om the
depression of the pUeus, very close, cream-white, moderately broad. Stem an inch or more high, from two lines to
a quarter of an inch thick, often curved as if eccentric, flexuous, greyish-white or rose-tinted, tui'ning brown when
handled, pruinose at the apex, stufi'ed, the fibrous bark very distinct. Odour fungoid and disagreeable.
Agaricus dealbatus, Sowerby, Fries, Berkeley, Greville.

Hah. In rings, or gregarious in pastures ; often csespitose and tiled one over the other. Autumn.

Of all the Agarics likely to be confounded with the true Champignon, tliis is certainly more resembling
it in appearance and manner of growth than any other; it is, therefore, fortunate that although not an
agreeable, it does not appear to be a dangerous article of food : we have known it mistaken for the excellent
A. orcella, and eaten without any worse result than slight nausea. It abounds in some seasons, then does
uot appear during an interval of several years ; as far as our observation of its habit goes, those seasons when
the old pastures are very bare and the herbage weakened by long di'ought, are favourable to its development ;
the late autiunnal rains then bring it up in abundance, always where least resistance is offered by the grass,
so that the rings are seldom regular ; but observation \viU prove that the close growing groups of the Agaric
are parts of a circle if not an enthe one. Very often A. dealbatus succeeds in the old rings of A. oreades ;
both of them prefer a poor gravelly soil, which is speedily acted upon by electric showers. A. dealbatus is
later in season than the general autumnal crop of the Champignon, but they may be seen in profuse circles
in the same field ; the Dealbatus sinning, glairy, and whiter than the buff-suited Oreades.

A. dealbatus always has the margin at first rolled inwards. — A. oreades, never.

A. dealbatus has very fine close dingy whitish gOls. — A. oreades, distant ones of a pure pale creamy tint.

A. dealbatus water-soaks in :ones of a grey brown. — A. oreades absorbs much wet, but becomes dark
leather-tjrown coloured, the deepest shade of buff; never grey, and never zoned.

The smell of the Champignon is mushroom-Kke and agreeable, and the taste raw, pecuharly so : but the
smell of A. dealbatus is too fungoid to render the tasting desirable, and wliile the Champignon increases in
odour as it dries, the other acquires no scent.

Having thus attempted to introduce the Champignon to her readers, without a possibHity of error,
Mrs. Hussey can only add, that she will send some to any one requesting it, when the season comes round.

' From haiTvs, close, and cpvWov, a Zra/, in allusion to the crowded gUls. Pileus dry, smooth. GQls close,
decurrent, or acutely adnate.

CD

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XL.

AGARICUS PRATENSIS, p™.

Meadow Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe.' Sub-division Camarophylli.^

Spec. Cliar. A. pratensis. Pileus from one inch to three inches broad, firm, sub-compact, becoming partially
expanded towards the margin, the centre remaining more or less convex, as if umbonate ; margin often cracked,
frequently contracted or lobcd; dry, smooth, buff, orange-reddish or brownish. Gills thick, decurrent, distant,
connected by veins, separable from the flesh of the pileus, of a paler shade of the same reddish buff-colour. Flesh
nearly white, thick in the centre, thin at the margin, firm, elastic. Stem short, stuffed, attenuated below, white or
huffish. Odour and taste agreeable ; esculent.
AoAKicus pratensis, Persoon, Berkeley^ Fries, GreeiUe.

Hah. Pastures. August to November.

The. gills of this Agaric arc remarked upon as being " separable from the flesh of the pileus ;" in the
Chanterelle family tliey are not, and this point being attended to, may serve to decide the question of a
given Fungus being an Agaric or a Cantharellus. In the present case the likeness to C. cibarius is so
strong that mistakes would be extremely probable without some test : it is true the Chanterelle is redolent
of luscious green-gages or melting apricots from tlie soutli-wall, or Iris Zic-Zac distilling its fragrant honey
in the fervid sun for the delectation of the ants ; but every one has not a perfect sense of smell, so that to
rely on it entirely for a guide would be trusting too far. Agaricus pratensis is commonly of a clean buff-tint
with a tinge occasionally of a redder shade ; but very large specimens of most luxuriant developement from
Hampshire, had the pileus of a deep dull orange. The odour is slight but agreeable, and it is esculent ; so
also is an Agaric, nearly related to it, A. virgineiis, but the latter is much more common, and generally
white, only tm'ning ycllowish-bro-wn in fading, so that it has been mistaken for the true Pratensis by those
who were unacquainted with both Funguses. A. virgineus grows in rings occasionally, or rather in groups
forming portions of a circle; it is much more brittle than the Pratensis, the latter being extremely solid and
firm, and requiring gentle stewing for some time; neither can be recommended as among the best of the
mushroom tribe, but they will furnish a tolerable dish to the amateur of the food in the deficiency of the

- From (cXiVos, a steep or (lecUmly, and Kvlirj, a lierifl, pointing to the shape of the pileus when young. Ycil
none. Pileus convex when young, not umbihcate, at length depressed or infundibuhform. Gills unequal, juiceless,
unchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free. Spores white,

- From Ka/uipa, a vault, and ipiXKov, a leaf. Pileus sub-compact, dry. Gills distant, vaulted, decmrent.

more dainty kinds. Agaricus pratemis of Sowerby is not the one mider consideration but A. oreades, the
Champignon. The shape of the vaulted gills is a striking peculiarity m the few Agarics which are placed
in the division Camarophylli ; the gUls are also very tliick and distant, and connected by prominent tumid
veins. In wet weather the pileus cracks from excessive expansion, and contracting again forms a number of
concentric \mnkles in the smooth leathery epidermis, but it is not zoned. The true shape and character of
A.pratensis is that given in the drawing; soil and season cause it frequently to vary much from this
portrait, but a little attention wiU enable the original to be identified. It has white spores ; it is not
furnished with milky juice, it has no kiud of veil, consequently no sheath or ring at any period of growth ;
and the name CHtocybe, from the shape of the pileus rising in the viiddle, points out a distinction from the
class Omphalia, in wliich the pileus is dimpled in the centre when youjig.

With a Virgineus it will not be confounded, if the colour and consistency are carefully examined ; nor
witli C. Cibarius, if the test of the gills bemg separable from the pileus or not, be applied ; there is no
dangerous species allied to it.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XLI.

AGARICUS EMETICUS, ^c/.^/...

Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Russula^

Spec. Char. Agariccs Emeticus, SohcEffer. Pileus from two to five inches broad; glutinous wJtile young,
compact, smoott, hemispherical, then plane and depressed in the centre ; sometimes irregularly bent and undulated
or compressed tUl nearly square ; margin thin, striato-sulcate ; purple, rose-red, blood-red, fuscous yeUow or nearly
white. Gills broad in front, narrower behind, rigid, thickish, connected by veins mostly equal with a few smaller
interspersed, always white. Spores white (not yellowish ochre). Stem from two to three inches high, longitutlinally
rugulose, firm, solid, white or tinged with the colour of the pileus. Extremely acrid and poisonous.
Agaricus emeticus, Schaffer, Berkeley, Vittadini.

integer, Sowerby, Bolton.

RussuLA rubra, Fries.

Hah. On the borders of woods, and principally under old oaks ; from July tUl November.

Few Agarics can boast so elegant a developement as tliis, whether the garb it selects for the nonce, be
of a lovely rose-colour, or pervaded with lilac having a changeable effect, or blotched like a striped Camellia,
with ricli crimson and white, according to the screen it has received from neighbouring plants in its growth.
Each of these various colours, at various times and places, adorns the pUeus, relieving it from the pure
white gills below : it gives no warning by its scent or by any other external circumstance of its deleterious
quality ; if the ignoramus should be tempted to taste, for a few moments all appears harmless, for it is
tardily acrid : but it fuUy makes up for the delay, as the tortured investigator, with burning lips and fauces,
and tearful eyes, seeks in vain for alleviation. If not swallowed, however, the effect shortly subsides ; it is
not an Agaric Likely to prove fatal, because the acrimony is not lost in cooking, and they who could eat
enough to harm themselves seriously, must have fire-proof palates. Vittadini, to be sure, tried the experiment
of eating them, although he found them most nauseous ; but tliis is a devotion to tlie cause that even the
scientific are not likely to imitate, much less the student, or mere amateur. Dr. Badham has taken
great pains to distinguish the various esculent Eussulse from the noxious ones ; it is a very difficult thing
for the experienced to pronounce upon some specimens even vritli close investigation, so we can only
say to the iirexperienced, study the Russulse as much as possible, but never trust your own investigations,
however close they may be, so far as to have a dish of them dressed without testing every one by masticating

' A name formed by Scopoli from nissulus, red ; veil none ; stem smooth, spongy within. Pileus with a
fleshy disc, and thin margin, which is not inflexed at any period of growth. Gills juiceless, either all equal, or with
a few shorter intermixed or forked, rigid, brittle, broad in front, narrow behind, acute, properly free, but apparently
adnato-decurrent from the ditt'usiou of the stem into the pileus. Spores white or sub-ochraceous. Gills white or
yellow. Large or middle sized Fungi, rigid, persistent, solitary, growing on the ground.

a morsel crude ; this will prove a pungent and sufficient warning, if you have carelessly examined their
botanical characteristics, and an excellent fungus treat by way of recompense, if you have made out the
esculent kinds, for there are no mushrooms so delicate and wholesome as the Verdette and the Agaricus
lepidus, Russula lepida of Fries. Both these we intend hereafter to introduce, and will then enter further
into the distinctions proper to each ; but no written description of either could enable the collector to
decide upon specimens so well as the comparison of their portraits with each other \^^ll.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe TremeUini}

Plate XLII.

EXIDIA GLANDULOSA, ^«&^.

Witches Butter.

Gen. Cliar. Receptacle margined, gelatinous, tremulous, distended, homogeneous, covered above only with the
hymeniuin. Sporidia at length bui-sting forth elastically. Named from exudo, to exude?

Spec. CJiar. ExiDiA glandulosa. Effused, more or less plane, thick, undulated ; the hymenium beset with
conical papillate spicules ; varying in colour from whitish to brown, and deep cinereous, at length black ; generally
somewhat turbinate ; slightly plicate and gyrose below, much wrinkled and lacunose above ; substance tender, thin,
gelatinous, smooth above, beneath rough like crape. The entire plant collapsing when dry, so as to be with
difficulty recognised ; re-assuming its pristine form with the application of moisture, and giving out a bright
brown tinge to water.
ExiDi,\ glandulosa. Fries, Berkeley.
Tremella glandulosa, BuUiard, Oreville, Witheriu(j.
spiculosa, Persoon.

Hah. On trunks and ftillen branches, particularly of ash. Autumn and winter.

If at a cursory glance the present subject from its hue and style of growth should be confounded with
Bulgaria inquinans, very little attention is needed to ascertain that in botanical characteristics they differ
essentially. The Bulgaria is a top-shaped cup, at fkst closed, fdled witli a gelatinous substance, in which
the reproductive bodies are immersed; Exidia (/Imuhdosais not cup-shaped, but nearly plane, as to its
entire configuration, that upper plane siu-face being smooth and shining, but wrinkled into a mesli-like
series of shallow cells or depressions, sometliing hke a Morel ; and upon this surface oidy the hymenium is
situated. The inferior sterile side is sub-tomentose, " rough like black crape " describes it exactly : being
of a very flaccid consistence when moist, the margins often hang over so as to conceal the under surface
entirely till Hfted up ; and this reversed position it retains in drying ; then care is required to discriminate
it from Tremella Jlmhriata, a rare plant, but in colour, form, and general appearance strongly resembling it.
Tremella Jhnhriata is gelatinous and tremulous when moist, brittle and crisp when dry, so is our Ex'ulia ;
the Trem,ella is black, plaited and corrugated, gathered beneath into a central point, which is inserted

' Eeceptacle various in form, of a more or less gelatinous substance. Sporidia free, at length bursting forth.

2 The name Ex'uUa gives a wrong impression, that of a liquid substance oozing out ; this is not the case.
Exidiaa grow out, as Tremellas do, from beneath the bark, taking their origin among the fibres of the inner stratum ;
but in the very first stage of developement, they are membranaceous rudiments of tlie future plant and not mere
gelatine exuded.

bet\feen the channels of the bark, but although its lobes may be flaccid their character of growth is vertical,
not 2dane and prostrate, or even reversed, as is the case with the Exidia. Both Funguses give out a brown
tint to water. With many points that may cause confusion between them, the main fact to be noted is that
the Exidia is an Exidia, and the Tremella a Tremella, and to the professed botanist this would be note
sufficient; we are not writing, however, solely for botanists, and therefore will mention again the great
difference between the two classes.

The Tremellas, however they may be folded, plaited, corrugated, lobed, or inflated, consist of an entire
sac-shaped membrane never opening into a cup, nor forming the ear-like shapes which give a name to the
great division Auricularini, under which the Exidias were formerly placed; these true Tremellas being
thus sac-formed, have no decided edges that can be properly designated as margins. Exidias consisting
of a more or less open expanding membrane have margltis ; also the hymenium covers every external part
of a Tremella, whilst in an Exidia only the upper surface is fertile, as in the Pezizas. Tremella fimhriata
(as well as several other species of that class) when laid upon a glass in a fresh moist state, deposits its
spores plentifully and is frosted over with them when imder a miscroscope, the fructification resembUug
that of the Agarics ; but in the Exidias the spores are exploded fi'om thread-shaped tubes in a somewhat
simUar manner to those of Pezizas.

It has been said that those Funguses which are capable of revivification can undergo the process only
once, the second soaking fails ; but if this is true of Agarics, it is not borne out by experiments on the
gelatinous kinds, such as we are now treating of; they swell out and collapse again not only with every
shower and drying gale wliile growing, but on the application of water artificially and subsequent desic-
cation, at several successive soakings ; boihng water acts most efficaciously, but of that they certainly will
not bear a repetition. The whimsical name " Witches' butter " has not the recommendation of any kind of
appropriateness such as renders many country epithets interesting; black it is, and that is all that can
connect it with " Black Art " besides its being a Fungus ; but butter it resembles in no characteristic
whatever ; the student will be greatly misled in liis search for it, if he imagines it to do so. It has no
peculiar quality, nor is it of any utility that we are aware of; but it deserves notice, and it seems well to
elucidate the differences between several species wliich careless observers might confound together.

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inncem.

Order Hymenomycetes. ' Tribe Cupdati.

Plate XLIII.

POLYPORUS SUAYEOLENS, l

Anise-scented Polyporus.

Spec. Char. Polyporus srAVEOLENS. Pileus dimidiate, generally solitary, of a flesliy, somewhat corky
substance, zoneless, villous white. Pores rather large, brownish ; when dry very light and soft. Strongly scented
with aniseed.

Polyporus suaveolens. Fries, Berkeley.
Boletus suaveolens, L'mneeus, Sowerby.

Hah. On stumps of wiUow. Not common. Annual.

LinuBEUs seems to have iiad a great liking for tlie flavour of Anise with whicli his countrymen try to
make their bad brandy palatable ; it has however certain rat-catching associations in England which have
perhaps been a reason for its exclusion from polite society in any form among us, so that unless it were
explained that by "sweet-scented" Linnaeus meant this peculiar odour, the English student would be
seeking for somethhig in which the rose or violet scent might be expected to predominate. After all, a love
for the smell of Anise is not a more remarkable national taste, than a thousand others acquired in different
places ; the " perfume " of the Italian Prumdus, for instance, is not exactly estimated by the Enghsh
labourer, whom we have heard complaining of the disagreeable task of exterminating its spawn ; and garlic is
nearly as unpalatable to a Briton, as its Persian substitute Assafoetida. Many vegetables also have a much
more refined and delicate odour when their freshness hangs about them, becoming rank and chemist-shop
like, after being distilled or resolved into essences ; all preparations of that most fragrant thing, a lemon, are
failm-es ; and so it is with both the anise-scented Agaric and Folyporns suaveolens : when in a fresh state and
sound condition, they are much more agreable than chemical prej)arations of Aniseed. This Folyporus
always retains some scent when dry, in which state it will keep for years ; and although the growth is annual,
the dried remains of a former season may be found in the stump wdiere a new pileus has replaced it. Wlien
any Polyjjonis then is called annual, it is not to lie taken in exactly the same sense, as when Phenogamous
plants are spoken of; many herbaceous flowers entirely disajipear except a few dried stems, and siioot
afresh from their buried but living roots every year, and these are perennial, not annual. Now the case of
a fungus, in wliich fresh pileuses spring from the old site containing their rudiments, while the dried up
skeleton of last season yet remains attached, seems parallel to that of herbaceous perennials ; but where
funguses are concerned the terms annual, biennial or perennial, apply not to the endurance of the substance,
but to the period required to bring it to perfection, and after which it ceases to grow. It is then whether the
increment of one particular fungus runs on from year to year, or whether it embraces two seasons, or ceases
with one, that is considered in classing them ; Polyporus Ljniar'ms continues with an annual aggregation of
substance for twenty years ; and its age may be ascertained by counting the concentric ridges, wdiicli,
alternating with depressions, mark periods of activity or of rest ; just as in a section from a tree, the age

may be determmed by its rings of growth. Perhaps the tyro may observe that in the list of synonymes
there appears Boletus suaveolens, Liunseus, as if in contradiction to the title Tolyjjorm suaveolem; now
this is not intended, but that the name of the class being modernly Folj/j^orus, Limiseus is still cited as the
authority for the species, although he called it a Boletus, in wliich he was imitated by Sowerby, Withering,
&c.. Ills more immediate followers ; but the term is now very properly restricted to a class, formed according
to strictly natural arrangement, which includes only the soft fleshed central stemmed varieties, with tubes
separable from the pileus, and each other; these, having in youth a rotund or baU-like appearance, may
fairly be named Boletus, but the title is quite inappropriate to the irregular, generally dimidiate class,
growing on trees &c., and which, having pores sunk into the pileus itself or formed fi'om the fibres of its
substance, instead of being separable from it, are considered as the true type of Folyporus. The great
family of the Bolypon then includes all pored Tunguses, of which Boletus is only one division, and Poli/porns
anotlier. In virtue of this arrangement it is clear that although every Boletus is a member of the Polyporei,
it by no means follows that a Polyporus is a Boletus.

Nothing can be more objectionable than novel arrangements or changes of nomenclature without
sufficient cause ; but in this case every one who will take the trouble to consider the subject, must perceive
■ that difl'erences enougli exist between the present family of Boletus, and those now termed Folyporus to
justify a separation.

Folyporus suaveolens, when dried and powdered, has been employed, it is said successfully in consumptive
cases ; it appears at any rate to have effectually checked distressing night perspirations and other attendant
symptoms of that melancholy disease. It is of too tenacious a consistence to be used as food, and too scarce
to render that an important consideration.

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Order Hymemomycetes. Tribe Cupidati.

Plate XLIV.

PEZIZA COCCINEA, /ae^«^..

Carmine Peziza.
Series Lachnea.^ Sub-genus Sarcosypha.^

Gen. Char. Cup move or less concave, soon expanded, the disk naked. Name from Pezka, a word used by
Pliny to denote some fungus of this shape.

Spec. CJtar. Peziza coccinea. Cup an inch or more broad, infundibuliform, within rich cai-mine colour ;
externally whitish, tomentose, with short adpressed down ; stem from a quarter of an inch to an inch high, tomen-
tose like the cup.

Peziza coccinea. Fries, Berkeley, Ch-eville, Witlierimj.
■ epidendra, Sowerhy.

Hub. On decaying sticks, sometimes penetrating through the soil ; in woods. Spriug.

However opinions may differ as to the beauty of Funguses in general, this plant in particular always
meets with admiration. The wliitish down on the exteriour is tlie remains of a veil in which Natui-e has
carefully enveloped one of her prettiest productions ; besides which, further to ensure the lovely carmine
liymenium from injury, the lips of each cup are not merely connivent in early youth, but meet closely ; so
that even if soil should at first cover the head of the plant, it will find its way through without a grain of
earth or atom of decaying vegetation defiling the interiour of the cup. ^'\'hen it comes to be expanded, the
colour is so pure and brilliant as to defy the limner's art, resembling that of Lobelia fulgens ; in age the
margins split, and sometimes turn back. The length of the stem depends on the site of the plant; it is
nearly obsolete when growing above ground, and much prolonged if it has any distance to push through in
seeking the surface ; however this may be, we have never found the root attached to any other substance
than decayed wood and sticks, not timber. In the districts of Kent aud Sussex, known as the Weald, and
.which are abundantly covered with copse woods, Peziza coccinea is often found; but there are many parts of
England where it is a perfect stranger : it will, however, be easily recognized by any discoverer ; no other
of the family possesses the same bright red tincture, except some very minute species, and the Peziza
uiirantia is very much larger and of an orange hue; not the slightest tinge of yellow enters into the
colouring of oui present subject; "Carmine" Peziza is exactly the suitable title. Under Peziza aurantia,

' Prom \a.xvr), down. AVaxy, rarely fleshy, externally hairy or villous fi'om the persistent distinct veil. Cup
closed when young.

- From a-ap^, flesh, aud axu^os, a ciq). Fleshy or carnoso-raembranaceoiis. Crust none.

vhicli occurs in an earlier division of the tribe, the student will find particulars of their general character
and quahties, which it would be superfluous to repeat here. "Wliether Peziza coccinea has any virtue beyond
that of pleasing the eye, we know not — for us that sufficeth ; but now comes the reflection, " For whom is
the beauty spread over solitudes where man comes not, designed ? " It surely cannot be for his delectation,
although to himself, as her king, he arrogates all the ofl'springs of the teeming Earth, — for these lovely
objects shrink before liim, disappearing from the spots his foot treads and his labour breaks in upon. Who
then in those sequestered forest -tracks admires, or employs, a myriad of lovely things, springing up season
after season, tUl centuries have passed ? Is so much done in vain ? Is natui-e thoughtless in her
prodigahty ? Or are the animated beings that skip, and play, and sing among those beautiful inanimate
creations, able to appreciate them? Not as we do — no one can dream that; but perhaps the squirrel
pricks his tufted ears and glances his bright black orbs with increased vivacity, when varied objects and gay
colours are around him, and is a happier squirrel because Nature is so bountiful. Perhaps the rabbit
breakfasting on dewy herbage admires the ornaments of his table although he cannot eat them, and stays
his munching to examine what liis rabbit mind feels to be " the beautiful." Perhaps the mavis sings more
eloquently to his brooding mate, telling her the world they live in is so fair ! Or perhaps — the Faiiies
bathe their ivory limbs in those becoming carmine la vers, filled with the purest dew of Heaven!- — "Who
shall contradict om- " fond fancies ? " No one with authority, and our faith, good reader, is as pleasant as
your incredulity ; but seek not, if we have converted you, to explore those moonlight glades ; we do not fear
that, like Arthur, you should be spiiited to fairy-land — but you will assuredly catch the Ague !

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Ordei' IIi'MENOMYCETES. Tribe PileaiL

Plate XLV.

AGARICUS GRANULOSUS, 5.A../.

Small yellow scaly Agaric.
Series Leucosportjs. Sub-genus Lepiota.'

Suh. div. * * * * Veil fixed or fugacious ; gills sub-aduexed.

Spec. Cliar. Agakicus Granulosus. Pileus from half au inch to an inch broad, iu general dull reddish yellow,
but occasionally ferruginous, pink, vermdliou, or white. Fleshy iu the centre, at first convex or obtusely umbonate,
at length often plane or depressed, somewhat wrinkled, covered with furfuraceous scales, the remains of the
universal veil. GDIs white or yellowish white, fixed to the stem, ventricose, sometimes nearly free in depressed
specimens. Stem from one to three inches high, from one to four lines thick, slightly incrassated at the base, when
young solid, but in age hollow, with a core occasionally running down from the centre of the pileus, and the base
stuffed ; sometimes the stem is slightly compressed, with a subfugacious flocculose ring about the middle, above
which it is slightly fibrillose, and beneath it scaly like the pileus, from the same cause, the remains of the universal
veil adhering to it.
Agakicus granulosus, Batsch, Fries, Berkeley, Persoon.

ochraceus, Bulllard.

croceus, Bolton, Soiverby, Withering.

Hab. Woods, especially of Scotch fir, on heaths among moss, &c., and on the stumps of old fir trees. Sub-
gregarious. Autumn.

Tliose Agarics wliicli are included under the head Lepiota vary much iu stature and general habit ; indeed
it could scarcely be supposed that botanical characteristics should exist to place in the same class, members
so different from each other when cursorily viewed. The Lepiotes stand between the sub-genus Amanita
and the sub-genus Armillaria, all three being under the series Leucosjwrns (white spored).

It appears advisable to place their distinctive peculiarities clearly before the student. Amanita
has two veOs ; one universal, one partial. Lepiota has only one veil ; that being universal. Armillaria has
one veil oidy, that being partial ; so that Amanita possessing these characteristics of both the other sub-

' From XfTTif, a scale. Veil single, universal, closely adhering to and confiucnt with the epidermis, when burst
forming a more or less persistent ring towards the middle of the stem ; stem hollow, stufl'ed with more or less densely
interwoven arachnoid threads, equal or thickened at the base, fibrillose. Pileus more or less fleshy but not
compact, ovate when young, soon campanulate, then expanded and umbonate. Flesh white, soft. Gills unequal,
never distant or dccurrent. Colour of the gills white, in some varieties yellow. Persistent autumnal fungi,
growing on the ground ; not dangerous.

geuera, is an Agaric in its most perfect state.^ It is of no consequence that in the mature plant a part of
the universal veil should be wanting, or, as it is styled, " obliterated," any more than that the ring should be
in some cases "fugacious;" provided the Agaric had both those appurtenances in its first developement, it
comes under the head Amanita.

Lepiofa has a universal veil only; the inner veil of Amanita, which stretches from the stem to the
pUeus, having its origin liigh up on the stalk within it, covering the gills separately from the outer screen,
is wanting in Lepiota, but in place of it, the umversal veil itself being contracted to the stem, beneath the
pileus, covers the gills and forms a ring, which attaches itself more or less permanently to the middle of the
stem, and sometimes slips up and down upon it, thus showing that this appendage is independent of the stem.
ArmiUaria precisely reverses the case of Lepiota having the partial veil springing from the stem and covering
the gills, but being destitute of the universal veil Lepiota possesses.

These are the distinctive characters of these three sub-divisions of white-spored Agarics, which the
inexperienced might confuse together. There are other species fnrnished with similar appendages, but they
have coloured spores and therefore come under the series Cortinaria°~

Agaricus granulosus is nearly the smallest of the Ltpiotes, and the only English one that is yellow
capped; ' its very ventricose giUs are a remarkable featui'e, giving it a curious pouter-pigeon appearance. The
ring has sometimes disa])peared in aged specimens, but a trace remains even then of its former position, for
the remains of the veil are attached in scales below ; the cap is more or less scaly from the same cause,
and, when these two circumstances are combined, we may be pretty sure a ring was once present at the
point of demarcation on the stem, where the scales cease.

None of the Lepiotes are dangerous ; the best of Mushrooms, A. procerus, is one of them ; this little
example is never in sufficient quantity to make its esculent property of any value, or indeed to test it with
conviction.

' The reader will see this clearly explained at the close of the introduction, by a drawing of A. Phalloides.

2 In Tricholoma there is a partial fibrillose fugacious veil but it forms no ring, being arachnoid, or composed
as it were of spider's web.

3 Unless we except the Agaricus Capesiipes, which turns yellow m fading, being originally white ; it is however
confined to bark-beds, so cannot be confounded with A. granulosus.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XLVI.

POLYPORUS SULPHUREUS, Buinani

Var. CLAVATUS, Fries.
Siiljihur-coloured Polj/2)orus.

Gen. Clmr. Hymenium concrete witli the substance of the pileus, consisting of subrotnnd pores with their
simple dissepiments. Name jroXis many ; and Tropo? a pore ; in allusion to the many pores of the hymenium.

Spec. Char. Polyporus sulphureus. Sessile, irregularly imbricated, dimidiate or branched, forming confluent
masses from two to three feet liigh. Each pileus is undulate, sometimes slightly zoned, alternately raised and
depressed in concentric bands ; the margin waved, yellow, orange, or cloudy reddish yellow, smooth ; the mass of
pores plane, extremely minute, sulpluu'-colom'ed. Spores abundant, white. " Dry specimens are often encrusted
with ciystals of binoxalate of potash." (Grev.) " When in fullest vigour it is full of sulphur-coloured milk." (Fries).
The flesh is at first sulphur-colour, then white, where the fungus breaks up in deep cracks. Heavy when full of
juice ; extremely light when di-y. SmeU disagreeable, acid, and foxy ; taste subacrid, slightly astringent.

Var. CLAVATUS. Polymorphus, much branched, entirely covered with most minute pores, sidphur-coloured.

Polyporus sulphureus, Berheley, Greville.

Polyporus sulphureus, var. elavatus. Fries.

Boletus sulphureus, Bnlliard, Soiverby, TFitheriiig.

Agaric styptique, Paulet.

Upon trunks of wild cherry, plum, &c. ; the variety elavatus generally on yew. Annual. Summer.

So very striking and beautiful a fungus always commands attention when met with ; it differs so much,
however, in its manner of growth, that various specimens can scarcely be supposed to belong to the same
species. The present drawing was made from a branched group, growing on the summit of an aged yew
tree, in Stowe Park, Bucks ; in wliicli position it never assumed the character of a pileated Polyporus, as
commonly understood, but, hke sportive examples of P. squamosus under similar circumstances, tlu-ew up
a luxuriant growth of ramified substance, having the surface enthely porous, and, of course, entirely of the
lovely primrose hue which the pores constantly display. In this state it is the Polyporus elavatus of Eries.
On the contrary, on a wild cherry tree at Hayes Place, vvliich had a longitudinally decaying fissure, the
same Polyimrus grew in imbricated layers, occupying a space of ten or twelve feet in height, and only here
and there interspersed with finger-shaped, entirely pored protuberances. On cutting through the lower
part of this mass to obtain a specimen, an abundant yellow juice flowed out ; about a pint was discharged

in the course of the ten minutes it was watched, and it continued to trickle from the wound for several
days ; this juice was slightly astringent, sub-acid, and crystallized in drying. The odour of the Poli/jmriis
is not very powerful when moist, but most disagreeable wliile undergoing the process of desiccation.
During this same process a remarkable fact was observed : the Folyporus had been placed for safety in a
cupboard, generally the receptacle, amongst other out-of-door matters, of the cat's dinner; and in the
evening, the children lodged a complaint that a plate of most disagreeable fish, so far advanced in decom-
position as to afford a briOiant hght, had been left for poor pussy, who of course spm-ned it with infinite
disgust. This matter of fish met with instant denial; what then was the offensive substance? The
specimen of P. sulphureus, as brilliantly phosphorescent, and quite as malodorous, as ever was decaying
mackerel. This phosphorescence of Funguses is not new ; Dr. Badliam mentions it, and Paidet states it of
the subject under consideration; but although he may, as well as ourselves, have seen P. mlpJmreus giving
out a shining light, he is wrong in identifying it with PHny's Fungus which did the same tiling. The
statement of the Latin author is that on the top of Glandiferous trees (not necessarily oaks) there grew a
white, odoriferous Fungus, which, shining by night, pointed out where to gather it in the dark. This is
probably the white Agaric of commerce used in medicine, liiglily resinous and powerful in its qualities,
which grows on larches only, and with wliich P. sulphureus must not be confounded — but it is not likely
it should be in England, as it is not found here. " Galliarum giandiferse' maxime arbores agaricum ferunt.
Est autem fungus candidus, odoratus, antidotis efficax, in sunmiis arboribus nascens, nocte relucens.
Signum hoc ejus, quo in tenebris decerpitur." Nat. Hist. Lib. xvi. 13.

This beautiful Polyporus recurs upon the same site in several successive seasons, but in scantier mass
and diminished vigour each year, tUl at last it appears to have absorbed from that particular tree all the
nourislmient available for its support. It was first described by Eay, and is undoubtedly, although he is in
errour as to that being Pliny's Fungus, the Agaric Styptique of Paulet, who compares the flavour to diluted
spirits of vitriol. He says also that the smell, as well as the brilliant yellow colour, are carried off by
spu'its of wine. It is strongly purgative, according to the same experimenting authority. The growth is
extremely rapid, which fact was observed by Sowerby, who says that after heavy smnmer rains, "it forms an
imbricated mass, in a few days, of three or more feet in circumference ;" he also mentions the walnut and
willow as its habitats, and tliinks that the ramose states are owing to its growing iu deep shade ; but with
respect to this it may be remarked that parts of the imbricated masses are inclined, if very vigorous and
their horizontal development is checked, to assume a branched form ; over luxuriance is in that case the
probable cause of this character being prevalent, as it is the reproductive portion, the pored hymenium, which
asserts itself wherever there is no room for the expansion of a head, pileus and all. On a horizontal surface
it is evident the branched would be the natural growth ; several Agarics, lateral stemmed when protruding
from the side of a stump, are found with central stems if produced on its fiat top. A. ostreatus and
.4. «%)^jc?<* are examples of tliis. Notliing can be more beautiful than this Aurora-tinted Fungus; the
most duU must be struck with it, the most prejudiced admire it. On the question of utility, wliich is sure
to be asked — that it is not fit for table use we need scarcely state, but it need not therefore be condemned,
being probably not more poisonous than medicinal things in general. Whether in that light it be worth
attention, we leave to wiser heads.

' Praecipue larices, oculato teste Nic. Chorier. lib. I. hist. Delphin. p. 58. Sunt enim ea regioue plurimee.
Harchdn, in Plin. xvi. 13.

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Order Htmenomycetes. - Tribe Pileaii.

Plate XL VII.

AGARICUS LACCATUS, scopou.

Series Leucosporus.
Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division CEsypii.'

S2)ec. Cliar. Agauicds laccatus. Pileus from one inch to two inclies broad, convex, the centre more or less
depressed, in age often cracked or squamulose with a mealy appearance, subcarnose, brownish red, flesh coloured
or bright amethyst, turning pale when dry, margin incurved, often very much lobed and waved. GiUs more or less
of the colour of the pileus, subdecurrent, distinct, distant, horizontal, broad behind and adnate, thick, sometimes
forked above, mealy from the white spores. Stem fi'om one inch to six inches long, elastic, thickest and downy
below, fibrillose, tough, hollow, of the same colour as the pileus but not becoming pale.

Agaricus laccatus, Scopoli, Fiies, Schaffer, Berkeley, Ch-eville.

rubeUus and cameus, Sc/zeeffer.

farinaceus, Bolton, Soioerhy, TFithering.

■ — amethystinus, Bolton, Somerhy, TFithering, Greville.

In woods, shrubberies, &c., from June to November.

The name of Laccatus was given to tliis pretty Agaric from the strong tinge of colour, resembling
that of gum lac, wliich more or less pervades the plant ; our drawing is taken from that variety of the
species which several authors have described as A. Ametliystinus, its garb being a lovely lilac purple. If
the most opposite specimens of the two kinds of A. laccatus were selected and placed together while in fresh
beauty, few ordinary persons would beHeve them to be the same species ; although they might allow the
close resemblance in the characteristic of form, independent of colouring ; so far as the latter quality goes
the difference would be starthng. One appears of a rich laky buff hue, perhaps edged or tinted with red,
but never \rith purple, and is more generally of the uniform clear self-hue, the base of the stem only being
reheved by wliite down ; the other is of a uniform self-colour also, and is also relieved by a white downy
base to the stem, its tincture, however, is pure pale violet or amethyst ; these are the extremes, but colour
is an accident, not a fixed attribute ; lay them side by side for a day, and in the fading of their beauty they
acquire mutual resemblance. The development of the white abundant spores has dimmed the gills of both,

' From ola-vrrov, dirty wool ; alluding to the more or less scaly opaque epidermis. Pileus diy, minutely squa-
mulose. Gills generally arcuato-decurrent, seldom adnate.

the surface of the pileus in drying has changed grievously ; the purple has flown, the laky-bufF is off too,
a couple of dull dowdy, buffish-purplish, or brownish individuals remain.

" All that's bright must fade,
The brightest still the fleetest,"
and certainly there are not many instances in which the alteration is more striking than in A. laccatus ;
in a few hours the specimens, hoarded to exhibit as " so lovely " to some fellow-student, are sought for, and
who could have anticipated the change? Provoking, too, if wanted for the pencil. In the accom-
panying drawing the prostrate one only has any pretension to perfection, the others are already "passes,"
having lost their pristine beauty before so fugitive a thing could be transferred to paper.

We have supposed a case of extremes above, but there are many intermediate states of A. laccatus
wliich soften down the glaring difference between them; nothing can prove, however, how apparently
different examples may be, than the fact that Withering has described tliis one fungus under three or four
names. The title " farinaceous," which Bolton and others have given to this Agaric, is suggested by its
powdered mealy appearance when the abundant white spores are developed ; not from the smell of flour,
although that has been supposed; it has no decided scent of newly ground meal, like A. Geonjii, the Orcella,
&c. In ordinary cases the smell is not remarkable, but once a quantity of the amethyst variety was
collected, wliich had a very powerful odour of gai'lic when dried ; the same species grew in very regular rings,
not in close ranks like A. Oreades, but in small groups consisting of three or four, at distances of an inch
or two apart, but these patches preserving an annular figure as a whole.

It is probably innocuous, though not tempting enough to have hitherto induced us to try its quaHties
as food ; there is no notice of its being used in any work on Agarics. When water-soaked the youthful
Araethystinus looks nearly black, and the buff kind, orange-lake ; attention to this fact of being satm'ated
with moisture, or the contrary, must be paid in all examinations of species, and due allowance made for
change of colom- or consistence accordingly.

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Order Hymenohycetes. Tribe Pileafi.

Plate XLVIII.

AGARICUS CRISTATUS, 5«^../.

Crested Agaric.
Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Lepiota.'

Sub-divisiou. * * Veil fixed or fuiracious ; a;ills remote or free.

Spec. Char. Agaeicus Cristatus. Pileus from lialf au iuoh to one inch and a half broad, expandeil, iimbo-
nate, white, the epidermis broken into rufescent scales which are either fiat or reflexed, and less frequent un the
mai'gin. Flesh firm, thin. Gills remote, numerous, slightly ventricose, the margin uneven, often imbricated,
tinged slightly with yellow, stem from one inch to two inches high from one to two lines thiclf, tough, composed of
fibres, smooth or fibriilose, hollow with a few cottony fibres, flesh towards the base reddish ; equal, not in the least
bulbous, but rooting by white fibres. Ring sometimes attached in fragments to the margin, sometimes moveable
on the stem. Taste and smell strong, not pleasant.
Agariccs cristatus, Batsch, Fries, Berkeley, Greinlle.

Hah. In grassy places, lawns &c., sometimes on garden beds. Solitary or subgregarious. August to November.

With correct portraits wherewith to compare any particular Agaric there will be little chance of erroiu-,
unless the specimen be a monstrosity. Among the Lepiotes to which tlie present subject belongs, A. Poli/-
sficiis is the most likely to be confused with it ; but may be distinguished by attention to the gills, since in
A. cristatus they are remote from the stem and in A. poli/stictis approximate to it ; the latter, among several
minor differences, is in-odorous, the former strongly scented, but it is better to select the gills as the point
to attend to, because " smeU " being an uncertain sense and an uncertain quality, the result of experiments
upon it is of course uncertain too. A. dypeolariiis is also scentless, and has approximate gills. A. crista-
tus is a common Agaric, but the two other species are not so ; A. pioli/stictis having been discovered and
described by Mr. Berkeley only at the time the English Elora, vol. v. was pubKshed. Dr. Badliam found it
at Wymondham in 1847, and Mrs. Hussey portrayed it, it may therefore appear in the course of tliis work,
although it has no striking beauty to recommend it. A. clypeolarvus is sub-campanulate, but the bell shape
is not at all assumed by the two species we have compared together ; none of them possess the bulbous

' From XfTTis, a scale. Veil single, universal, closely adhering to and confluent with the epidermis ; when
bm-st, forming a more or less persistent ring towards the midcUe of the stem. Stem hollow, stuffed with more or
less densely interwoven arachnoid threads ; equal or thickened at the base, fibriilose. Pileus more or less fleshy
but not compact, ovate when young, soon campanulate, then expanded and umbonate. Flesh white, soft ; gOls
unequal, never distant or decurrent. Colour of the gills white, in some varieties yellow. Persistent, autumnal
fungi growing on the gi-ound. Not dangerous.

base to the stem so characteristic of the A. procerus and its near relatives; A. crista his has a "root con-
sisting of a mass of white branching fibres of considerable tenacity, and generally retaining a quantity of
soil." Certainly there is nothing tempting to the palate about this pretty Agaric, rs the scent is rather
unpleasant than not ; but it is very graceful, and so pure and clean looking as to have much the advantage
" personally " over the esculent kinds allied to it. A charge of deleterious quaHties lies against A. clypeo-
larius, but it is quite as likely, if true at all, to apply to tliis, for they have been frequently confounded : we
recommend neither, as the safest plan.

^
^

Js

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CO

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■ 1—1

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XLIX.

AGARICUS PSITTACINUS, &/.^/..

Farroqiiet Agaric.

Series Leucospobus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Hygbocybe.'

Spec. Char. A. Psittacinus. Pileus one inch broad, conical, campanulate, at lengtli expanded, sometimes
concave from the margin tui'uing up, smooth, ghitinoiis, striate when moist, gi'eeu at first, changing to yellow of
various shades, sometimes tinted with lake red, often cracking. Gills slightly adnate, rather distant, broad in the
centre, bright yellow often shaded with green. Stem from two to three inches high, about two lines thick, hollow,
splitting, green, yellow at the base, very shiny.

Agaricus psittacinus, Seheeffer, Fries, Berhdey, Grevilh, Sowerhj, TFitltering.
chamaeleo, BulUard.

In pastures and parks ; October and November. Common.

" The green colour here seems, as in the A. (vruginosus, to be contained in the slimy coating, wliicli
being laid on a golden ground, acquires sucli an unusual brilliancy. It wears or washes from the central
and projecting part of the pileus, and then shews the yellow ground, but it remains longest on the upper
part of the stem, because there protected by the shelter the pileus affords." It would not be easy to
amend Withering's graphic description and therefore we offer it as it stands. Some years ago, when
wandering through Knowle park, the turf was so completely sprinkled with these Httle gems of funguses,
that it would scarcely have been possible to find a square yard of it which did not exliibit several ; they are
not lovers of umbrage, like many other Agarics, but prefer open sites, seldom growing mider trees. This
Agaric is of no use whatever, that we can recommend it for, neither does it possess deleterious qualities to
be warned against, as far as our own experience goes. No attempt has been gastronomically made upon it
at Hayes ; in fact there is so little to say on the subject, that the bringing it forward at all seems to need tlie
only excuse that perhaps mother nature can offer for its existence — " it is very pretty," and this we beheve
every one wiU acknowledge whose attention is once directed to it ; but it prefers that damp autumnal state
of tilings, when the heavy half freezing dews never rise from the grass all day, when the weather is very
questionable, when a lady's gown may be better employed than in sweeping up dead leaves, and her foot

' Prom lypos moid, and kv^tj a head. Pileus thin, viscid when moist ; stem hollow.

instinctively tm-us into the beaten track away from all these petty difficulties : still, if in their rambles, any
of oTir friends meet with these elegant green " toadstools, " they will not tliink Agaricus psittacinus less
lovely for appearing when there is so little that is ornamental left.

It will be at once distinguished from young specimens of A. aruginosus by the colour of the giUs,
wliich are bright yellow in our Parroquet Agaric, and pallid umber in the other, and young specimens only
before the spores are ripened could be liable to be mistaken for it, since the spores of A. amginoms are
dark, those of A. psittacinus wliite.

s

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■ ■— I

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate L.

AGARICUS VARIABILIS, Persoon.

Variable sessile Ac/aric.
Series Dermixus.' Sub-genus Crepidotus.^

Spec. Char. Agakicus variabilis. Pileus from half an inch to an inch broad, membranaceous, at first
hemispherical with a short stem, soon resupinate and then again reflexed, the stem becoming quite obsolete, white,
covered with silky down ; sometimes there is no stem at first, but the pileus is resupinate from the earliest stage of
growth. GiUs white, changing to reddish-white, with a buflf tinge. Spores iiisty-pink.
Agaricus variabilis, Persoon, Fries, Berkeley, Greville.

niveus, Sowerby.

sessilis, BulUard, Witheriny.

Huh. On sticks, stalks, and leaves in woods and hedges, more or less the whole year. Common.

There are several Agarics which begin life as tliis does ; first turning down^ then facing upwards till
they lie on the back (resupinate) and ultimately curling over dowaiwards again, in old age and a state of
collajjse. We have selected Ayaricus variabilis as an example, because it may easily be recognised, and is
not uncommon ; it affects particular districts however, as many funguses do. Withering says, he saw it for
the fii'st time " sent out of Bucks " to Edgebaston near Birmingham, where he resided ; and we may
conclude it was scarce in his own particular district, or it would not have eluded so industrious an inves-
tigator. Although in Bucks it may be found in every hedge, in Kent it is not frequently met with. It is
a very delicate pretty little thing. Mr. Berkeley notices that the cellular tissue is a beautiful microscopic
object, but requiring a liigh power. The change in the colour of the gUls is of course owing to the ripening
of the spores, wliich are a buff pink colour ; tliis will effectually distinguish it from A. stypticm ; and that,
moreover, is of a uniform buff hue ; attention to the spores will prevent its being confounded with any
other member of the subgenus PleurojJios to which A. stypticus Ijelongs, that being a class under Leu-
cosporus, which it seems almost impertinent to repeat so often, means having wliite spores or dust. Of the
members of its own family, Crepidotus, wliich being under Derminus have coloured spores, ferruginous,
reddish, &c., none appears likely to be mistaken for it ; A. rubi grows on sticks, particularly as its name
imports on the bramble, but the pileus is yellowish livid grey not snowy white, and the gills are darker.

A. mollis has umber gills, and is of a very watery substance at first. A. panuoides has yellow gills,
and a pileus tinged with violet, it is also very much larger. These are all the resupinate and side-footed

' From bepfia, skin or membrane. Veil not arachnoid. Spores ferruginous.

- From KprjirU, a slipper, and oSs, an ear. Veil vei-y thin, fibrillose. Pileus unecjual, excentric or lateral. Gills
unequal, changing colour. Spores subferruginous, subargillaceous, or reddish.

Agarics with which it appears probable oar present subject should be confounded; many Agarics besides
grow on sticks ; but they are white-spored or have stems ; there is one called Ramealis, the Stick Agaric,
possessing both these points, so no other difl'erence need be cited. Sticks indeed — dead rotten sticks, such
as poor old hags fill a ragged apron with to boil their tea-kettle, are not the despicable things that many
imagine ; it would probably be impossible to jiick out one which should not be garnished with some species
of fungus life ; some possessing exquisite beauty, all exquisite contrivances for self-developmeut and propa-
gation and the task they have to fulfil, the disintegration of dead wood. Tiie poor never look grudgingly
at a basket of " savoury meat " in the Toadstool form ; they would not eat, so do not envy them to the
collector ; but we have felt rather ashamed of ourselves, as, exultingly bearing a cargo of " sticks " picked
out of ditches and banks in a Norfolk district where fuel is scarce, we met other " collectors " of that
species of treasure, who never dreaming of the nearly invisible Spherias, and a himdred other beautiful
creations with which they were studded, undoubtedly thought we might have left such gleanings to kindle
(they call them "kindhngs" in Norfolk) a blaze on the hearth of poverty.

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DUKBUS.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LI.

POLYPORUS PERENNIS, u

Perennial Cinnamon Poli/porus.

Oeit. Char. Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of subrotuiid pores, with thin
simple dissepiments. Name from noKis, iimny, and Tropor, a pore, in allusion to the many pores of the hymenium.

Spec. Char. Polyporus perennis. POeus from one inch and a half to four inches broad, coriaceous,
velvety, zoned, cinnamon, varying in depth of colour ; cup shaped when young, nearly plain when old ; often con-
fluent, marked with little raised radiating lines, giving it a striated appearance, margin fimbriate or laciniated.
Pores minute, roxmdish or angular, at length torn, decurrent ; of the same colour as the pUeus, darkening in age.
Stem from one to two inches high, varying greatly in thickness, bulbous at the base, very tough, velvety, cinnamoii
brown.

Polyporus perennis, Vriei, Berkeley, Oreville.
Boletus perennis, Litin-tEiM, Withering, Persoon.

coriaceus, Schaffer, BuU'mrd.

fimbriatus, BnUiard.

Hah. On the ground in sandy places, or peaty soil in woods under trees, and among heather. Autmnn and
Winter, remaining through the following Summer in a growing state.

The afHiiity of this subject would at first sight appear to be with the central stemmed pored funguses
properly designated "Boletus;" on pulling P. perennis to pieces, however, the tubes are found to be
formed out of the same tough substance as the coriaceous pileus, which is very distinct in consistence from
the soft-fleshed family. There are several of the Polyporus tribe possessing, like tliis example, a stem,
central or lateral, which true stems must not be confounded with those " sportive " attempts to create such
pedestals for themselves, whicli P. versicolor and its congeners now and then indulge in, and w-hich are
merely prolongations of the pored substance, often formed upon a stick or similar supporting nucleus.
We have before explained that endurance for a period of several years, is not being truly Perennial; the
conditions of which are continuous development for a period exceeding two seasons. All the specimens we
have ourselves examined of P. perennis, appeared merely Biennial, growing for two seasons only, the first
in a depressed Pezj^A-like form, the second expanded, waved, and tiu'ning over ; after that, remaining still
on their site, they do not decay, but fade, become weather-beaten, losing their richness of colour and soft
velvety texture, wliile the margins acquire a jagged or fimbriated condition. Variations in the synonymes
of the plant are owing doubtless to the different ages at which it has been observed and described. The
coriaceous pileus becomes crisp and rigid in dry weather, and swells again in wet. Under trees, among
their dead leaves, it may often escape attention, closely resembling them in colour ; if this be the case, it is

nevertheless not a common Fungus, nor one easily mistaken. It does not grow upon stumps, fallen branches,
&c., as so many of the rigid division of the Polyporus tribe do, wliich circumstance will alone serve
instantly to distinguish it from most others. The accompanying drawing was made from a Polyporua
perennis more than usually handsome, and larger than any which authors have hitherto described; many
as fine occupied the same slope of peaty sand, covered by tall heath, under a dense umbrage of old oaks.
The spot has been cleared a good deal, and we have since sought our friend in vain.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LII.

POLYPORUS QUERCINUS, Schrader.

Oak-tree Polyporus.

Spec. Cliar. Polypoeus queecinus. Pileus at first soft, fleshy, very thick, tongue-shaped, subspatvdate, or
triangular ; pallid buff, or white, turning red in patches when handled, grantilate ; pores veiy minute, short, the
same colour as the pileus. In mature growth the pileus expands beyond the dimensions of the thick horizontal
stem, but remains more or less spatulate, plano-convex, dull yellow, the floccose upper sm'face reddish brown.
The substance is elastic, corky, vinous when cut, the tubes darker. Intensely bitter.
Polypoeus quercinus, Schrader, Fries.
suberosus, Krombholz.

Hob. On decaying oaks. Very rare.

"Tliis polyporus was fii'st described by Schrader, in 1794, but lias since been lost sight of till very
lately," thus wrote Mr. Berkeley on receiving it from Hayes Common two years ago. Sclu-ader noticed its
resemblance in growth &c., to Fistulina ke2Mtica, and tliis was fully borne out by an accident wliich
destroyed some specimens of much finer growth than those depicted.

A basket-full of Fidulina liepatlca, the "Langue de Boeuf," had been collected and devoted to
sauce, for which these funguses were constantly employed ; the cook salted them down in the absence of her
mistress, concluding the white tongues were only dehcate varieties of the red, owing to a shady place of
growth or some such cause. These " wliite tongues ■" were of considerable size, perhaps a foot long and
not quite so wide. Next morning the salt had turned them brilliantly yellow, and it was evident that a
mistake had been made, — an unfortunate one, for no examples so large and well developed have ever been
met with since ; and it need scarcely be stated that they did not make good sauce ; their bitter flavour is
intense, hke galls ; yet the same tree, at the same time, produced also the bland Fistxdina liepatica, which
is sKghtly acid but never bitter, and always retains the flesh-like juiciness of its texture, when its Polyporus
neighbour has hardened into excellent cork, whence its other name "suberosus." Funguses, therefore,
" each after its kind," can select and modify for themselves the nutriment they draw from the tree, as the
deadly hemlock and emoUient mallow grow side by side on the same soil in which the chemist woidd vainly
try to detect differing quahties. The genius to solve these difficulties has not yet arisen, it must be a
greater than Eay or Linnaeus to do it ; in the mean while whatever ground has been gained in late times, is
disencumbered of the rubbish left by *' ingenious gentlemen," who surmised where they could not fathom,
and imagined where they could not see ; no theory now-a-days can stand unless upon a firm foundation ;
people observe, they dare not venture to speculate ; and when a sufficient number of " facts " sliall have been
accumulated, possibly the mystery of the propagation and germination of Funguses may be deduced from
them by a skilful generahzer, and the mode in which plants select their food discovered.

The selection of food by insects and animals is in some cases remarkable. Snails cliose to eat P. quer-
cimis, bitter and hard as it was, wliile soft-fleshed Agarics were at hand ; tliis was owing to no want of the
powers of discrimination, for the long heavy slugs would crawl up a brick waU to feast on the most
offensive and disagreeable of Agarics, — MeUeus, (honey coloured, not honey flavoured good reader,) and if
they could detect the strong foxy scent, they must also have appreciated the flavour, for a banquet on this,
the " Tetes de Meduse, " was certainly ambrosial in slug estimation, and great was the labour and exertion they
employed to get at it, although food, we should have selected if catering for them, might have been had
without any pains. Whatever qualities our present subject may possess, is, perhaps, of little importance
since it is so very rare, that to recommend it would be to tantalize. In its white and most luxuriant form
it has some resemblance to P. dettdinus, but that is not bitter and does not turn so yellow in age.
P. quercinus is never zoned ; the growth being more vigorous at some periods than at others, causes it to
swell and contract in outline as the plate shews. Little nodular pieces of various Polyporuses may resemble
it in a youtliful state ; but one test seems as if it might be depended upon — taste. Is it bitter ? — as gall.
Then it is, if other particulars do not forbid, P. quercinus, we know of no other of the family having this
quality : P. Bryadens, growing at the foot of oaks, certainly has not, being only sub-acid.

I

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Order Hymenomtcetes. Tiibe Tremellini.

Plate LIII.

EXIDIA AURICULA JUD^, nnn.us.

Judas s Ears.

Gen. Char. Keceptacle margined gelatinous tremulous disteuded homogeneous, covered above only with the
hymenium. Spores at length bursting forth elastically. Name from Exudo, to exude.

Spec. CItar. Exidia aueictjla Jud^. Sessile, concave, distended, flexuous, venoso-plicate without and
within, beneath subtomentose, olive cinereous or reddish brown ; the upper substance corrugated, the plaits branching
from the middle part where they are deepest, and somewhat convoluted, so as to give an idea of a human ear.
Exidia am-icula Judae, Fries, BerMey.

Themella , Limutus, Persoon.

Peziza auricula, Linnceus, Bulliard, Witherintj.

Eab. On living elder trees ; seldom on any other. Early autumn and winter.

In a former notice of the Exidias, while describing Exidia glandulosa in particular, the main difference
was pointed out between that sub-division of the tribe Tremellini, and another subdivision, Tremella, in
the restricted sense of the word. The present subject differs greatly from Exidia glandulosa, having much
more substance ; it has the appearance of a confluent mass of Pezizas, each ear-shaped cup being deep with
well-defined margins, often couniveut or bending inwards, always collapsing in that du-ectiou in old age or
when drying up ; whereas the thin gelatinous membrane called " witches' butter," falls laxly outwards, con-
cealing the inferior surface. For tliis reason everybody wiU at once understand, when the hymenium of
Exidias is stated to be on the upper surface only, in contradiction to the sac-formed marginless Tremellas,
which have it all over them, that it is the sliining, black, papillate side of the membrane, always uppermost,
and often convex, in Exidia glandulosa ; in that example, mistake cannot be. In the Exidia Auricula Judce
the case is different, the said " superior " hymenium being the lining of the cup, wliich the ignorant might
suppose " inferior," when the outside closes pretty nearly over it, as in a very dry state it often does. It has
been remarked that " when growing on a perpendicular tree the plant turns upwards : " this E. glandulosa
does not, and the papiUee so distinctly visible on its hymenium are wanting in that of Judas's Ears.
That is the correct name, not Jew's Ears, as commonly given. There is an ancient tradition that it was
upon an elder tree Judas hanged himself, and that the fungus sprouted out in consequence : the authority
for this has escaped our memory, but a friend, whiHng away a wet day, unexpectedly came upon a corrobo-
ration of this legend in the last place a lady's research was hkely to have invaded: —

SaUades cent diuersitez, de cresson, de hobelon, de la comUe a I'euesque, de responses, d'aiu'eiUes de
ludas (c'est une forme de funges, yssans des vieux suzeaulx). — Rabelais. Pantagruel, Liv. iv. Chap. Ix.

But for salad, Monsieur Kabelais, excuse our faith in its ever being either salad or pottage ; it may be
esculent, we should not like to try, always making very certain indeed that others have sufficiently risked
experiment and given their sanction " let it be eaten," before we venture : then and not before, tve eat, and
if satisfied that we can do so honestly, recommmd. It would appear from the old herbalists that this fungus
possessed or was supposed to possess the same virtues as the tree it grew upon ; green elder being a nos-
trum for many things, and the ointment from its leaves, as well as the flowers, still finding a place among
medicaments. Gerarde says that boiled in vinegar the Ears of Judas are a cure for sore-throats ; probably the
gelatinous quality of the plant corrected the acrimony of the vinegar, thereby softening its rude effect.

If any of our friends should seek it, they must not expect to find anything hke a human ear : making
every allowance for the darkening effect of southern chmate, it is much more hke a bath's or some of the
monkey tribe. The colour varies through every shade of brown to cinereous ; in dry old age it is often
beset with green Algfe, but tliis is no part of the plant and is common to many funguses. It shakes hke
any other jeUy, when in the moist gelatinous state, but is not viscid ; in dry weather it becomes rigid and the
velvety pile harsh and rough, but after rains swells out again into the soft india-rubber-like quivering
substance, which gives it a place among the Tremellini.

PUUe- LIV.

"N., •.■:■*

Jlt*n,EeiQxm ^Servi irna

liycopeTion geimrLatuirL Satsck var.

Order Gasteeomycetes. Sub-order Trichoyastres.

Plate LIV.

LYCOPERDON GEMMATUM, var 5«f.c/^

studded Puff-Ball.

Gen. Char. Peridium membranaceous, with an adnate subpersistent bark, within furnished at the base, with a
spongy sterile stratum. CapiUitium unequal.

Spec. Char. Lycoperdon gemmatum, var. Proteus, Sow.

Peridium membranaceous, persistent, naiTowed at the base, subrotund, covered with the mealy adnate bark and
scattered subspiBulose warts ; stem elongated, somewhat pKcate at the base. Flocci persistent, forming in the centre
a columella ; mouth prominent, umbonate from the conical columella. Spores brownish green.
LycoPEEDON gemmatum, Batsch, Fries, Berkeley.
Proteus, Sowerby, Withering, var. "pestle shaped."

Hah. In fields, extremely common.

This being but one among the Protean forms of oiu- present subject, it seems as well to add the specific
character of some others since the student could scarcely suppose them all to be the same Lycoperdon gem-
matum, varying according to soil, situation &c., but having no real botanical difference.

" Peridium rounded, depressed, warts deciduous, compact with a firm mucro (dagger shaped), stem round some-
what scabrous."

Lycoperdon perlatum, Persoon.
hirtum and echinatum, Bull.

" Peridium turbinate substipitate rough with stout spinous rather distant warts."
Lycoperdon candidum, Ic. and Besc.

" Turbinate subsessile, haii-y, with thin soft at length generally blackish warts."
Lycoperdon umbrinum and quercinum, Persoon,

" Turbinate seldom spiuidose fuifuraceous with more or less dust-hke warts."
Lycoperdon moUe, Persoon.

" Subrotund sessile papillary furfuraceous, pulverulent."
Lycoperdon Proteus, var. Withering.

And so we might go on, for the above forms are not all that this variable fungus assumes, although
quite enough to prove that Proteus is a very proper title for it; it is the common Puff-ball of pastures,
often growing in large rings, and when the student picks up anything of the kind which is decidedly not
the smooth giant Lycoperdon, it is probably this. Lycoperdon pyriforme grows in tufts upon decaying wood
or on sandy sites, not grassy pastures, it never has warts, and this and its habitat will serve to distinguish

it from OUT L. gemmatum, which the pear-shape would not do, for some varieties of that are tui'biiiate, and
between the outUnes of a top and a pear there is slight difference.

Of Lycoperdon ecelatum, the sculptured or embossed puff-ball, we propose shortly to give a plate, when
it will be immediately perceived that, unless in a very juvenile state indeed, the one cannot be mistaken for
the other. The very large Lycoperdon saccatiim, of wliich a drawing appeared in an early number, being
covered with spinulous warts in its juvenile state, is much more like this variety of L. gemmatum than any
of its other relatives are ; but the rare saccatwm has a different mode of bursting when ripe, it forms no
mouth, nor any regular aperture, but the peridium decays and disappears, leaving the stem merely sur-
mounted by the barren stratum which was the base of the ball. L. gemmatum, on the contrary, never emits
its contents as an oozing liquid, but from the mouth on the summit they fly off in dust, and children
call their receptacles. Devil's snuff-boxes.

And all that parade of synonj^ms is attached to a Devil's snuff-box ! True, that is the peridium or
receptacle ; if we take out its contents the base is found to be considerably thicker than the sides ; this base
or barren stratum, in Lycoperdon gemmatum, is merely saucer-shaped, but in L. saccatum prolonged into a
stem so large as greatly to exceed in its entire substance the ball placed upon it, and in Lycoperdon gemmatum
is varied in many ways between the two extremes. Bovistas are as truly " puff-balls " as Lycoperdons are,
perhaps more so, for they never have stems, their peridium being a mere sac, destitute of the barren stratum ;
but besides this difference and some in the membranaceous covering itself, the colour of the contents is
different ; blackish-brown or umber in Bovista, in Lycoperdons olive-yellow or greenish-yellow. The mass of
contents is called the capiUitium, from its being composed of hairs upon which the spores are placed.

For the rest, all of both classes are eatable, if selected before any change in the colour of the spores
takes place ; when cut across they should be snowy white, then served in white sauce, a more delicate fungus
there is not. The praises of the giant of the tribe we have written before ; Vittadini and Dr. Badham are
agreed as to the excellence of Bovista phunhea, and we can only add, when you vainly seek button-mush-
rooms, and are deluded by Lycoperdons, do not kick them away or pelt them away in anger, but make
them do duty as substitutes ; they have not the flavour of A. campestris, but resemble small sweet- breads.
Prohatutn est.

ILaie^ LV.

%ifm\

:a\

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S..}L. id

E B fcE raip

A^a.ncus 'inicacpus, ^-dx.JMl^.

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LV.

AGARICUS MICACEUS, var,M^a^

Mica Agaric.
Series Pratella.' Sub-genus Coprinus.^

Gen. Char. A. jiicaceus. Csespitose. Pileus from three quarters of an inch to an inch or more Inroad, half-
ovate, often more or less irregnlar from the dense mode of gi-o\vth, membranaceous, strongly striate, almost plicate,
squamuloso-furfiuraceous, sprinkled with glittering meal, rufous, the umbo darkest, the margin cinereous, very thin ;
veU veiy fugacious. GUIs attenuated in front, broad behind, ascending, attached above, at first pale, then umber,
mottled with the dark brown-black spores. Stem two or three inches or more high, two lines thick, equal, hollow,
brittle, squamuloso-pulverulent, the epidermis often cracked into little^cales, very faintly tinged with red, attenuated
upwards, the base downy, and sometimes assuming the appearance of a volva.
Agaricus micaceus. Fries, Berkeley, BulUarcl, Withering.

congregatus, Soioerby, Purton, Withering.

striatus, Bolton.

Hah. Near the roots of trees, bottoms of posts, on lawns in gardens, eveiyvvhere extremely common. From
May to November.

The variety of A. micaceus now given is the least common form of the commonest of Agarics ; usually
it is shorter, more compact, not so strongly ribbed, and simply coloured with a uniform buff hazel tint ;
the specific characters given above are not to be found in every example, but are intended to embrace all
the many varieties to be found between the two extremes, which could scarcely be considered the same
species, if they were not united by a gradation of minute differences, while the main botanical characteristics
continue unaltered. As a family the dehquesoent Coprini are very distinct, but to discriminate individuals
requires care ; they are named from being for the most part produced, if not absolutely, upon dung, such
as old hot-beds, &c., yet in situations very strongly manured ; according to the richness of the materials
supporting it, a given species wiU be more or less luxuiiantly developed ; many are extremely unsubstantial,
fugacious, and fragile ; others although at first possessing weight and solidity, speedily expand into a loose
softened texture, melting of its own accord into inky ketchup, which is not however fit for culinary pui'poses.

' Veil not arachnoid. Gills changing colour, clouded, at length dissolving. Spores dark-brown or black.

- GlUs free, unequal, thin, simple, changing colour, at length deliquescent. VeU universal, more or less
concrete, flocculose, fugacious. Stem fistulose, straight, elongated, brittle, subsquamulose, whitish. PUeus mem-
branaceous, rarely subcarnose, when yoimg ovato-conic, then campanulate, at length torn and revolute, dehquescent,
distinct from the stem, clothed with the flocculose fragments of the veil. Fugacious funguses, growing in rich
dungy places or on rotten wood.

A(/aricus micaceus with its congregated host of neat brown caps may be seen after every heavy spring
rain, everywhere, in gardens, on lawns, by the road-side; it seems not to approve a high temperature, during
dog-days we may seek it in vain ; but as soon as summer heat declines to the medium degree of spring, up
starts the Mica toadstool, and recurs till frosts check it. It loves best situations where decayed wood lies
buried, not growing immediately from it, Uke the tree Agarics, but nurtured by it as by manure, and
finding the disintegrated portions a proper nucleus and screen for the tender threads of the cottony
mycelium which is its first state, and which sometimes is so abundant afterwards, as to form round the
base of the stem a covering almost volva-like. Some decayed portions of pollard elms had been buried
as the foundation for a ferner}', and there the Agaric the second year appeared in dense clusters, which
became a perfect nuisance ; every plant near being soiled by its deliquescence. Before every thunder storm
the ground heaved up and cracked, for the sensitive fungus felt those electrical influences propitious to
its growth; and pushed its thousands of brown heads into the upper world ; that crop passed tlirough its
proper stages from the pretty compact pileus gemmed with the bright fragments of the veil, ghttering like
morsels of mica, (whence the name) to the stained spore-sprinkled remains of what had been a pure white
stem, now crowned \vith a few ragged fragments of the dehquesced cap.

Then came another storm, another crop ; for three years the process continued and after that ceased
entirely, the wood probably having imparted all the nourislunent tliis particular Agaric could derive from it.
On another occasion seeing a considerable portion of a pasture turned brown in a remarkable manner, it
was found on nearer approach to be a close mob of these same toadstools, pusliing and shouldering, but
utterly unable to obtain space for expansion, and so they perished, only a few in the outer ranks
extricating their caps enough to open them. It was the space where a very wide hedge had been grubbed
and where probably many small roots had been left, which was thus occupied, and that one growth seemed
to exhaust the site, as it has never recurred.

So common a " toadstool " is a good study for the beginner, and may easily be found and identified ;
the most usual type we noticed at the commencement of the article, its hues are not yellow of the gamboge
kind, but ocliry, reddish-brown, and umber. It is of no use, and in some sites worse than useless, but
appears to have no deleterious properties.

I'latc. LVI^

Agaricus velatipes, Curtr:^

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LVI.

AGARICUS VELUTIPES, curus.

Velvet-stemmed Agaric.

Series Leccosporus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe.' Sub-division Rhizopodes.^

Spec. Char. A. velutipes. Csespitose. Pfleus from an inch to three inches broad, smooth, shiny, of a
beautiful tawny colour, unequal, convex, expanded, fleshy, margin tliiu subtransparent. Gills ventricose, broad,
scarcely adnate. The colour vaiying from pale straw-colour to buif-yeUow. Stem from two to nine inches high,
three eighths of an inch thick, incurved, velvety, rich tawny brown, paler above, often compressed and striate, fistiUose.
Agaricus velutipes, Cm-iis, Fries, Berkeley, Withering, Sowerby.
nigripes, Bidliard.

Hah. On decaying wood, underwood cut down, stumps of trees &o. ; through the whole year ; extremely
common.

Among the Agarics which defy the painter's skill, we must number Vehdipes, and this with the more
regret, because, if the dra\Aing could have been half as pretty as the plant, it would have excited everybody's
admiration. Queen Elizabeth objected strongly to shadows besmircliing the fair beauty of her face, and
what would the gills of A. Velutipes tliink of the black marks wliich defUe as well as define them, under
artistic treatment ? they are so clear, so pure in hue — and that hue the most difficult of all to treat with
purity, a pallid buff yellow, frosted with the wliite spores which give them delicate elegance, like shot-silk,
yet totally devoid of gloss. To relieve this the stem is rich velvet, of a warm reddish-tawny coloui', and
the pileus, wliile compounded of both hues, differs in material from both, shining in satin array. We may
suggest that this costume evidently requires powder, for no pileus is without it when the mass is imbricated,
those above shedding their wliite spores on those beneath. At any rate, the painter who combines these
given hues and materials in his next drapery will find a harmony of the quiet kind, matching yet varied —
aU suitable (the pun was involuntary) : and if he relieves the draperies by cold greys, such as the bark
which forms the background to our agaric, it wiU, in colour at least, be a very chaste and beautiful picture.
On commons, among furze bushes that have been cut off for firing, and similiar gipsey haunts A. velutipes
is correctly stated to be " everywhere plentiful ; " but there are wide cultivated tracts of England where it

' From xXiVot, a steep or declivity, and Kv^r\, a head, pointing to the shape of the pileus when young. Veil
none. Pileus convex when young, not umbQicate, at length often depressed or infundibuliform. Gills unequal,
juiceless, unchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free.

- From (ii(fl, a root, and ixovi, afoot. Pileus fleshy, viscid. Gills sub-adfixed. Stem rooting.

rarely appears. It cannot possibly be mistaken for any other ; Agaricus radicatns, its near relative, is never
csespitose, and has not a tinge of yellow in its whole composition. The velvet stem and wliite spores must
be present, in which case if an Agaric possess a general tint of tawny yellow combined with those two
characters, it can scai'cely be any other species. Occasionally from the recesses of some old stump it
stretches out an unduly lengthened fasciculus of stems, pallid from want of light, and distorted from want
of room, so that its oldest acquaintance might be puzzled to recognise " the once famihar friend." But
even such monstrous growths as this, a httle caution about the colour of the spores, and attention to those
characteristics which in all Aijarics are unchangeahle — the shape of the gills ; the nature of the stem,
whether hollow or soHd ; the way in which the giUs are placed as regards the stem, whether decurrent,
free, or emarginate ; the presence of volva, ring, or cui'tain, all the pai'ticulars in fact which, belonging to
the intrinsic nature of the species, wOl be always found invariable, despite the accidents of colour, and
appear in a mere black and wliite drawing — these unchangeable characteristics must be looked to
carefully, and then, although distoiied, abortive things may be found, such as lead the tyro to conclude he
has discovered sometliing quite undetected hitherto, the mask will be puUed off as soon as anatomical
examination is brought into play. It must be observed that masquerading Agarics, Boletuses, &c., &c., do
not usurp each other's likeness, but are like nothing ever seen before. Agaricus velutipes, for instance, if
acquiring a different character from its true type as an Agaric, will not, therefore, be mistaken for A. cau-
diciiim or A.fascicularis, but puzzle the examiner as a new and undescribed species. Considering the
rapidity of their development, the loose texture of their parts and the harsh substances, often conglomerated
pebbles and entangled roots, tlirough which they have to force a way, it is astonisliing that tilings so soft
and fragile should be as seldom distorted as they are.

Of the quahties of A. velutipes we are ignorant ; it is not bitter as many yellow funguses are, but
tastes agreeably and possibly may be wholesome for food, if the slippery quahty it possesses be not objected
to ; for ourselves we honestly confess that the consistence of a slug is not agreeable to our palate.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe PUeati.

Plate LVII.

BOLETUS SCABER, Bumard.

Bough-stemmed Boletus.

Gen. Char. Hyinenium distinct from the substance of the pileus, consisting of eyliudric separable tubes
Name from ^oXXos, a hall, fr-om the rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Char. Boletus scaber. Pileus fi-om three to seven inches or more across, pulvinate, \ascid when
moist ; very variable in colour, whitish, cinereous, brown, olive, buff, bay, deep orange or vermilion ; smooth or
minutely downy, the down sometimes collected into minute fasciculate scales; flesh very thick, soft, white not
changeable in young specimens, in older ones turning vinous gi-ey when cut or bruised. The porous mass is
pulvinate, extremely convex in age ; tubes dirty white at fii'st, then further discoloured and yellow-brown from the
spores; minute, their orifices round. Spores dusky ferruginous. Stem at fii-st ovate, and the pileus very narrow,
with traces of the floccose veil ; in maturity the stem is six inches or more high, attenuated upwards, squarrose
with black or orange scales, or marked with fibrUlose raised lines, sometimes perfectly white, but generally the
fibrillse are brown or black. Spores dusky ferruginous.
Boletus scaber, Bulliard, Fries, Berkeley, Soicerby, Persoon, Gremlle.
Am-antiacus, Bulliard, Sowerby, Witlierincj.

Hah. In woods and woodland districts. Summer and autumn ; extremely common.

In a fungus-hunting expedition recently, the two extremes of Boletus scaber presented themselves, and
certainly it was difficult to persuade our basket-bearing tyro that the elegant, tall gentleman with enough
black fibrillae to set off the wliite of his stem, and the vermilion of his rich soft kid-leather cap, could be
" own brother " to the swarthy, shiny, scabrous, very vulgar individual, we encountered afterwards. It
was the difference, which has so often given subjects to the caricaturist, that between the dirty ruffian and
the trim grenadier, and only on consideration how much under differing conditions the sons of Adam differ
could the possibility of such fungus differences be conceded by the uninitiated.

Whatever his garb may be, it must be remembered no tinge of yellow, green, or blue, is under any
circumstances present in this Boletus, the various tints of oclirey-red, buff, or brown pervade it ; for even
under its gayest colours, the name Auivintiacus is not apt — it is of a mineral red — a didl vermihon, not a
dark orange tincture, like the mixture of yellow with lake. The common hue varies from dull buff to
bay-brown ; only the red variety has the smallest pretension to beauty, wliile the pores are yet unstained by
the ripening spores, that is handsome, the size and colouiing, and general effect are imposing. Another
variety with a clean buff cap and snow-wliite stem on which the downy raised lines are quite destitute of
dark scales or fibrils has several times been collected, and is, although not so specious as the Aurantiacus, a
very good looking quaker of a toadstool. Both these are esculent when young, and not water-soaked by

excessive rains, on wluch condition much of the goodness and flavour of aU the Boletus tribe depends ; a
firm specimen, selected before the tubes have changed coloui-, and insects begun their ravages, will be
found very agreeable broiled ; but the flesh softens in age to a consistence not pleasant, although there is
nothing objectionable in the flavour or qualities. The fibrillose dark lines down the stem are peciUiar to
B. scaber ; others are meshed with fine net-work or indented in strong reticulations, but not in this peculiar
linear form.

If it should be mistaken for B. edmlis, it is a compliment, as that is much better than itself ; both
might carelessly be confound with B.felleus, but as that dangerous individual is bitter when tasted, a
certain test exists ; other Boletuses beside these either turn blue or green, or have yellow in their colouring,
so that confusion cannot well arise. Boletus eduUs has the stem meshed closely all over with fine
reticulation, has no red in its shades, never turns colour when cut, and the change of the tubes with age
is from white to dirty yellow nearly olive, the spores being green oKve. Boletus felleus has a broken cap,
generally cracking into fine tesselations ; the stem is paler brown, grooved deeply in a reticulate manner ;
the change of the tubes is from wliite to dull pink-red, the spores being rosy-ochre.

After studying these characteristics any one may ascertain B. scaber ; like all other Boletuses these
must have the tubes removed before being cooked, then if firm and intact, they may be filled with a little
force-meat in lieu of the tubes, and gently roasted in a cheese toaster, or broiled, but not cooked in any
manner which leaves them moist.

I

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LVIII.

THELEPHORA HIRSUTA, wuidenow.

Common Buff Thelepliora}

Spec. Char. Thelephoea hirsuta. Effused, at first resupiuate, at length generally reflexed, often imbricated,
more or less zoned, coriaceous, but not rigid, strigose, buff, yellowisli or gi-eyish, fading pallid, and often acquii'ing
a green tinge from the presence of minute Algae. Ilymenium smooth, even, buff, sometimes cinereous. Margin
entire, more or less lobed.

Thelephora hirsuta, Tf'Uldetiow, Fries, Berkeley, Persoon, Greville.
Adriculaeia reflcxa, BidUard, Soiverby, Withering.

Hab. On posts, sticks, fallen trees, &c. ; very common.

The present plate presents the Thelepliora in sucli a position as to show very little of it, except the
buff hymeniuin ; the smaller example gives the upper sides of two vaiiously coloured pileuses.

It is of variable and fantastic growth, and may be found as half-a-dozen apparently different species in
the scope of a very restricted examination ; in youth and age it could scarcely be supposed the same plant.
At ffrst, small, yellow, obtuse dots and lines are seen which extending their growth become thinner, waved,
plaited, and scalloped, and cover an old stick with ruffles from one end to the other ; sometimes they shrink
up, looking brown and dull, then after rain their margins swell again into bright yellow tumid lips, and
every passer-by is attracted by the beauty of the Fungus meandering in ridges all over the old gate-post
or decaying rail. This is during the period of youth ; in mature age a uniform buff is the usual colom- of
the entire plant, and then changes of season and weather operate Kttle upon the configuration of the
substance, but bleach its hues till eventually it assumes even a "frosty pow," or puts on a wig of green
parasitic Algae. The resupinate form with which it begins causes the hymenium, smooth, velvety, and
porelessj to be apparent only at fii-st, then one edge of the pileus rises wlule that opposite continues firmly
attached, and growth extends from that, as a base, perpendicularly to the substance on which it is placed ;
this attached edge cannot of course expand; therefore, the free portion, growing out, zone beyond zone,
forms scallops, which are irregularly crowded, but aU turn over one way, so that in one direction we see all
the caps, in the other all their lining. It wears a hairy cap as the name denotes, tomentose, even shaggy,
not often bedecked with coloured zones, but it is always a clean, elegant, attractive indi\'idual, and gives a
foreign grace to many an innately graceless block.

A few years ago the picturesque summits of some pollard oaks were fixed in the garden to have
creeping plants inserted in their cavities. The succession of Funguses upon those particular stumps was
easily watched, and extremely interesting — firstly the present Thelej)lwra and its cousin T. ruUr/inosa, had
entire possession, and used their advantage so industriously that the bark could not be seen for the pretty

' Hymenium homogeneous and concrete with the pileus even, or papUlate ; named from Brikr], a nipple, and
cftipa, to bear, from the papillose appearance of the hymenium in many species.

usurpers — their reign lasted two years ; by the third, only a dwindKng casual pUeus was to be found, but
Dadalia biennis, Agarieus styptieus, and various others took their place ; Reticidarias being the last to find
a habitat on wood, channelled tluroughout by carpenter bees, and wliich is now held together by the roots
of the plants placed in it. "Let us see what there is on the stumps," — once sure to be productive of some
Fungus or other, is a useless errand now, and we only regret that a register was not kept of the demolition
of our wooden giants, Gog and Magog, by the united efforts of insects and parasites. Another stump, also
oak, produced a plentiful crop of Tremella Jimbriata, for one season, and never anything else; a fourth had
the decayed spaces filled with Reticularia umbrina ; and at that same period there was a kind of epidemic
of them, notices being sent from various quarters of "a species of puff-ball" growing in ancient trees. If
any of our friends should find tliis monster, a silvery brown or pure white puff, on decaying wood, it is
Reticularia umbrina, having brown powder for its main substance, the sac which contains it being very
evanescent; or it may be Reticularia maxima, externally snowy white, internally purple black.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LIX.

AGARICUS FLEXUOSUS, Persoon.

Flexuous Milhy Agaric.
Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Galorrheus.'

Spec. Char. Agaricus flexuosus. Cfespitose or solitary. Pileus from foui' to eight inches broad, crisped
and waved, hard, rigid, and brittle, very u'regular, in youth freqviently folded inwards, often deformed and scarcely
rising above the soil, in age infundibuliform, the margin very slightly involute ; zoned, more or less ochraceous,
viscid when moist. Flesh white, milk watery white, iusupportably and instantly acrid. Gills nearly of the same
colour at the pileus, but of a more rufescent tinge, in age they have a shot eifect from the paler spores ; very much
forked and anastomosing, owing to the intermediate veins and iiTegular compression of parts of the pileus. Spores
ochraceous not pure white. Stem short and thick, blunt, white, very minutely downy, though occasionally quite
smooth, fu'm, generally solid, but in irregular specimens it has cavernous spaces in the substance.
Agakicus flexuosus, Persoon, Berkdaj.

Hah. In pastures, under bushes. July, August, and September.

The Agarics, classed under the head Galorrheus or milk yielding, considered as a class, have white
spores, but there are two or three exceptions, the spores of which when collected in a body shew a decidedly
ochraceous tint ; in all other respects, however, they conform to the particular characters of the division in
wliicli they are placed ; and if the student should object to the arrangement of Agarics by the colour of their
spores, because a few individuals are at variance with it, — the answer is easy, no rule can be absolutely free
from exceptions, a cream or ochre cast is no material difference in the colour of spores taken as the test of a
large class, wliich agree in all other botanical particulars, and in no case is the discrepancy of colour so strong
as to cause confusion with other divisions. As a mode of distinguisliing an individual with certainty, there
is no test like the colour of the spores. The very Agaric under consideration is one of those that have the
spores of a pallid ochi-e tint ; but this palUd ochre or cream-colour is very different from the rich reddish
ochre of the Cortinarius Funguses, the rosy-ochre of the series Hyporhodeus, or the ferruginous brown of
the series Derminus. It must also be remarked, that no Agaric has the spores white in one situation and
yellow in another ; it is the one fixed invariable point about them, that differ as they may under circum-
stances, though they may be distorted, diseased, and sportive in any other way, their dust when collected
by reversal on a glass, is always precisely the same. The gills do undergo a change which renders them
alone a fallacious guide in classification ; many Agarics have been named and described twice over from

' From yoKa, milk, and peu, to flow. Veil none. Stem naked, firm, sub-equal, diffused into the pileus.
Pileus fleshy, firm, piano-depressed, umbilicate, margin even, when young involute. GUIs unequal, often forked,
narrow, attenuated behind, adnato-decurrent. The whole plant abounding with a milky juice. Large or middle-
sized, persistent, frequently acrid Fungi, growing on the ground.

this cause; we all know tlie common Musliroom has pink, then chocolate gills, and the Cortinarius
Agarics often begin with lovely Hlac or even wliite gills, wliich in age become rich reddish-ochre, that being the
colour of the spores when developed ; the effect of one tint thus placed upon another is to give that changeable,
shot-siUc effect to the giUs, wliich defies the pencil. In Agaricm fiexuosus, although the spores are not pure
white, they are paler than the membrane on which they are placed, fidl in front therefore, the gill shows its
own hue most clearly ; seen sideways the frosting of the spores gives it a pruinose effect like the bloom
on fruit.

The example here given of A. Jlexuosus is more regularly shaped than it is often found ; it sometimes
attains much larger proportions, and becomes very irregular, large lobes of the pileus remaining curved
inwards, unable to extricate themselves from the grass roots and other obstructions to expansion; ours-
grew where it got fair play, but even then it is not of the regular funnel-shape assumed by many of the
tribe ; it is viscid, retaining leaves, &c., sticking to it. The giUs are frequently forked in a most compli-
cated and elegant manner, and before the spores ripen jiave a redder tinge than the pileus. The milk is
not rich and flowing bountifully, as in A. vellereiis and some others, but scanty and "sky-blue;" nothing
can exceed its acrimony that we have met with in the vegetable kingdom ; capsicum is mild to it ; spurge
not so permanently painful. A young friend despite of warning, on tasting a morsel instantly started off on
a race, which was so apparently objectless as to give painfid doubts of his sanity ; but he had descried a
brook at a distance, and there we found liim ten minutes after, still laving liis burned tongue in the stream.
It is due, however, to these very acrid Agarics, to state that unless the substance be swallowed the effect
subsides entirely after some minutes; no soreness or blistering effect is produced; perhaps their acrimony
most resembles the leaves of the Arum.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati

Plate LX.

AGARICUS LATERITIUS, sck^ffer.

Var. SUB-SOLITARIUS.

Bed-brick Agaric.

Series Pratella.^ Sub-geuus Hypholoma.^

Spec. Cliar. A. lateritius. Gregarious. Ctespitose, but not densely tufted. Pileus from two to three inches
or more broad, fleshy, plano-convex, always very obtuse, at length expanded, diy, neai-ly smooth, ochi-aceous, tawny
in the centre inclining to brick-red, paler at the margin where it is slightly silky ; when young it is silky all over,
and in proportion as it becomes smooth, it is more deeply coloured. Flesh compact, white, bitter. Veil stained
with the spores, adhering in fragments to the margin. Gills rounded behmd, adnate \\'ith a tooth, from pallid
nearly white, becoming dusky olive when clouded by the spores ; spores pale brown-pm-ple not with a feiTUginous tint.
Stem three mches or more high, from two to three lines thick; often thickest below, stuffed, firm, at length
fistulose, but the walls are as thick or tivice as thick as the diameter of the canal ; yellow with a more or less
rufescent tinge.

The variety siib-soUtarius is often very handsome, the centre of the brightest brick-red with superficial patches
of down, cracking, turning black where bruised or pressed against other substances ; the stem is much thicker,
stouter, and in young specimens the canal can scarcely be perceived, nearly of a uniform hue with the pileus, equal,
but thickened at the base. Smell agi-eeable ; flavour less bitter than that of the csespitose variety, but not " sweet."
Agaricus lateritius, Schaffer, Fries, Berkeley, Persoon, G-reville.

amarus, Bulliard.

pomposus, Bolton.

Hah. At the foot of stumps, or where decaying roots are beneath the soil. From May to October.

There is a yellow Agaric witlr orange shades on the centre of the pileus, and green gills, which may be
found at the bottom of nearly every old post and stump durmg a great part of the year ; it is often so
densely tufted as to have gained it the name "fascicularis " or " bundled-up " Agaric ; between this and
our present subject, the sub-solitary Lateritius so great a difference exists that they can never be mistaken
for each other, but then these are two extremes. The more usual growth of A. lateritius is also fasciculated,
although not so densely as that of its congener, the proper owner of the name, and weak, pale, specimens

' From ^rafew, pasture ground. Veil not arachnoid. GiUs changing colour, clouded, at length dissolving.
Spores bro\vn, purple, or in the Coprinarii nearly black.

2 From vc^^, a weh, and Xafxa, a fringe. Veil fugacious, woven, fixed to the margin of the pileus and stem.
Stem firm, sub-solid, distmct from the pileus. Pileus fleshy, convex, then plane. GDIs adnate, close, subdeli-
quescent. Caespitose, growing on wood.

may be found much more nearly approaching^ in outwarcl guise, this humble ally, squeezing up to the gate-
post to gain protection apparently from passing feet, than to the splendid '' Pomposus" glowing in orange
and red, throwing out a few bold stems to display their handsome caps, under the awning of the hazel
boughs in the coppice, as if they thought the old stump should be flattered by their selection of it.

But there is one sure test, the colour of the spores; wliich in A.fascicidaris are ferruginous-purple,
in A. lateritms, pallid purple-brown without the slightest tinge of rust colour, exactly the shade of raw-
chocolate. There is little occasion to point out the difference between A. lateritius and its sub-solitary
variety, it may be more difficult to prove their Kkeness. When the habitat of this Agaric is decaying wood
alove ground, seven or eight, seldom more, perfect pileuses proceed from the nidus in which they take
birth, the wood on each side circumscribing their root expansion to one small spot ; but when their rudi-
ments find space for spreading laterally, as in the case of dead wood or roots beneath the soil, each pileus
can force a way for independent existence and does so ; then, instead of lax stems, lengthened to give room
for expansion, and caps tiled one over the other, shedding their discolouring spores on the inferior ones,
we have a stout, firm, clear-coloured Agaric, which strict examination wiU convince the sceptic is really
A. lateritius, and nothing short of it wiU. We have found it on a lawn, of which the soil is fuU of roots
from surrounding trees, growing in perfect rings of considerable diameter, which proves that the spawn has
a tendency to spread where opportunity is afforded, and that our solitary friend is no misantlirope, but
inclined to join the social circle in proper and pleasant places.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXI.

AGARICUS COCCINEUS, wui/en.

Changeable Scarlet Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Hygrocybe.'

Spec. Char. Agaricus coccineus. Pileus from one inch to two inches broad, at first convex, obtuse, conico-
campannlate, afterwards expanded, depressed, at length inverted ; sometimes strongly umbonate, splitting from the
centre, yellow, orange or scarlet, viscid when moist, when dry pallid, appearing to the eye fibriUose but not really
so, margin thin, more or less wavy. Gills broad, ventricose, wrinkled, thick, connected by veins, adnate with a
decurrent tooth in depressed specimens, red at the base, yellow in the middle, glaucous at the edge, retaining theii'
colour longer than the pileus. Stem cue inch and a half long, three quarters of an inch thick, more or less hollow,
subflexuous, smooth though apparently fibrillose, tough but easily splitting, scarlet above but always yellow
at the base.

Agaeicus coccineus, Tfulfen, Fries, Berkeley.
scarlatinus, Bulliard.

Hah. Extremely common among short grass in pastm'es and on commons. September to October.

Tliis Agaric is often confounded with a much commoner and less agreeable species^ Agaricus conious,
which abounds everywhere in autumn, but affects most tlie long wet grass of rich pasture, whereas the short
sweet turf of the open down, exposed as much as possible, pleases Agaricus coccineus, which deserves a
little pains to discriminate it from others, and when once the differences are pointed out, wiU easily be
determined under any circumstances. Agaricus conicus, as its name denotes, is acutely conic, is placed on
a longer, more slender fistulose stem, is more sliining and juicy, striate from haying less flesh, and on being
broken or bruised turns greenish black ; age likewise produces tlais effect, the entire plant darkening to a
sooty olivaceous hue ; indeed, in some situations it is always dull olive yeUow without a tinge of red, but
even should the scarlet of its cap rival that of the real Coccineus, the turning black will decide the question,
as that is peculiar to itself among the Hygrocybi ; its flavour is unpleasant, wliile that of A. coccineus is like
Champignons, and its scent, when drying, resembles sweet vernal grass or wood-ruff. Another of this
section, A. ceraceus, has no scarlet in its colouring, and although that tint may be bleached by exposure
from the pileus of A. coccineus, it wiU always be found beneath its -shelter, on the stem and gills. A.puni-
ceus resembles a gigantic growth of Coccineus ; it is rare. A. miniafus is another fungus, never viscid.
A. psittacinus has green for its general colour; we have given its portrait, and need only add that no shade
of green is ever found in A. cocci?ieus.

' From iypos, moist, and <il3rj, a head. PLleas thin, viscid when moist. Stem hollow.

Fragile and cracking of their own accord, these pretty Funguses can scarcely be extricated from the
turf in an entire state, nor handled without breaking. They sweU very much in wet weather, and then the
flavour and scent are deteriorated; we have never eaten them as a dish, but beheve they are perfectly
wholesome, and during a long stroll have found that raw, they were extremely agreeable, and to the hungry
quite acceptable.

It seems almost superfluous to add, that the subgenus CHtocybe has neither veil of any kind nor volva,
and therefore these scarlet Agarics cannot be confounded with any others of that colour, having white
spores.

^

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Clavati}

Plate LXII.

mncEus.

CLAVARIA PISTILLARIS3 L

Hercules' Club.

Gen. Char. Receptacle erect, more or less cylindrical, homogeneous, confluent with the stem. Hymenium
occupying the whole surface.

Spec. Char. Clavaria Pistillaris. SoUtavy, large, from six to twelve inches high, incrassated upwards, obtuse,
varying somewhat in form ; smooth, yellowish rufescent or dull orange, dingy brown in decay.
Clavaeia pistUlavis, Linnmis, Fries, Berkdey, Bull., Persoon.

herculeaua, Sowerby, Withering.

Hab. In shady woods, rare.

This, the well named Hercules' Club, is the type of the entire genus Clavaria, having suggested a desig-
nation which suits but Ul the greater part of the family ; some of them are lite switches, others like bushes,
not in the least resembling our idea of what a club should be, which being based upon the tremendous
weapon of classic fame as the Greeks sculptured it, are exactly fulfilled by Clavaria Pistillaris ; this latter
title is retained because given by Linnaeus prior to the more descriptive one, we may be permitted however
to use that in English nomenclature, as it is adopted by our own botanists. Withering and Sowerby.

About a foot high is the extreme elongation of this Clavaria ; when so tall, it is little swollen at the
head, being merely, as it were, stretched out and unduly lengthened, from growing perhaps more deeply
embedded in dead leaves &c. than other specimens which have a short contracted portion, a stem-like
support to an inflated summit ; these are such as Withering describes ; he compares them to a pear ; in
general they greatly resemble a fig lengthened towards the base, but their configuration is variable ; sometimes
the upper portion is rotund, at others puckered in and swelling out again, yet never at any time having a
head distinct from the stem, the whole plant is confluent within and without, fi'om the very base, where it
is gathered into a point. One character alone will prevent its ever being mistaken for any other EngHsh
variety, the contents are a snow-white soft homogeneous cottony pith, rending easily from the base upwards,
without any cavity whatever, though the pileus splits occasionally in age, at the apex. Clavaria ardenia is
hollow. AH the other simple Clavarias as distinguished from the branched, with which of course there can
be no confusion, are fasciculate, or tubular, and of much smaller dimensions than C. pistillaris.

The colour is an ochraceous orange in youth ; the base white with fine down ; as the spores which are
situated upon every part of the external covering, become developed, it assumes a peach-like appearance, at

' From Clava, a Club.

that period; wherever thctouchrubs off the bloom-like spores, cinnamon-brown marks appear, beiiigthe denuded
epidermis ; this reddish-brown hue the whole plant of course assumes, if much and rudely handled, yet as
the spores remain in the sheltered parts, a purplish clay-colour is given by their presence, and it seems as if
much more variegated in hue than is really the case ; the summit is always, even at the last, a richer yellow
than the sides. It is extremely persistent and may be kept a fortnight after gathering, provided it is shut
up in a vasculum with a little slightly damped moss. On compressing it, the substance is firm and elastic,
not rigid, resembling a little stuffed bag of doe-skin leather ; it gi-ows laxer with age, but there is no
tendency to deliquescent decay ; the whole plant idtimately shrinks and wrinkles into a very small compass.
It is not viscid at any period of growth, even when moist. EJrombholz says it is esculent ; in England the
fact is of little importance, it is so rare that when found the last thing we should think of doing would be
to devour it ; the smell is not unpleasant, but the flavour is very bitter, and the cottony texture does not
imply agreeable mastication. It is not the only bitter Clavaria : C. Fimformis, the bright yellow one, is in
some situations intensely bitter ; Vittadini's opinion therefore that aU Clavarias are good for food, must be
taken with a qualification, and applies probably only to the Coralloid varieties. These grow in branched
groups like marine productions much more than any of the usual woodland plants ; after heavy rains in
September, 1848, masses each proceeding from one thick-stemmed base, were gathered in the woods near
Farnborough (Kent) which measured eight inches across ; they consisted of innumerable ramified branchlets
of the most delicate silvery violet near the base with snow-white extremities ; to this elegant plant no
pencil coidd do justice on a wliite ground, we therefore allude to it in this place as it cannot have one to
itself : it is Clavaria Coralloides. Clavaria Cinerea resembles it in mode of growth, but is darker and
less elegant ; C. Pratensis, a common one, is buff-yellow, of lower growth, fastigiate and tufted : these are all
esculent, but the only one we can thorouglily recommend as worth cooking is C. Ruc/osa, wliich is little
branched, sometimes not at all, white or nearly so, like wax, thicker above than below, longitudinally
wrinkled, and the outline of its unbranched forms much resembling in miniatui'e our Clavaria Pistillaris.

fi'

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXIII.

es.

AGARICUS VELLEREUS, Fn

Downy Agaric.

Series Leiicosporus. Sub-genus Galorrheus.'

Spec. Char. Agaeicus vellereus. Pileus from four to seven inches broad, white, tomentose, rigid, more or
less infundibuliform, margin at first involute, the whole surface minutely but densely tomentose, firm, fleshy ; flesh-
white, milk-white, acrid, GiUs arched, distant, generally narrow, but in that respect variable, forked, connected by
veins, at length slightly buff or yellowish, rufescent after being bruised. Stem one inch high, two inches thick,
blunt, rather less downy than the pileus, solid.
Agabicus vellereus, -F/w«, 5erMey. (v^. iw^m, Sowerby).

Hab. LTuder trees, particularly oaks, in woods. July, August, September.

WMch of the English milky Agarics is the species eaten mider the name oi 2nperatus on the continent,
does not admit as yet of positive decision ; the Italian and French peasantry call then- funguses by local
names, figurative and poetical enough, as " the Cow " and " the Goat " from their giving milk, and " pe-
perone " and " poivre blanc " from the acrid taste of the milk ; but when we seek to indentify these with
the productions of our own soil, the conclusion come to after a wearying attempt to arrange the synonymes,
is that these admirable " Cows " and " Goats " are not natives of our pastures at all, unless disguised under
the sheep's clotliing of " Le Mouton blanc," A. vellereiis. Tliis Agaric varies much, it has not often gills
so higlily coloured as the variety depicted in the present case ; ihe name indicates a fleecy coverini?, but
that is so close and adpressed that in age very little of it remains, except at the margin of the pileus ; the
pileus itself is commonly much eaten and defaced by slugs, it is zoneless and stained red in patches where
injured, in this respect agreeing with A. contr overs us of Vittadini.

So large and common an Agaric, if good for food at all, would be very valuable ; we have not as
yet ascertained if this be the fact, having been thrown upon a wrong scent by the name piperatus applied to
another English species, decidedly not esculent. It is often much easier to say what a tiling is not, than
what it is ; the Ar/ariciis pijMratus of the English Elora, A. acris 200 Bulhard, is not the one eaten abroad, for
we have cooked, tasted, and condemned it. None of the acrimony is lost in the process, and it acquires a
most unpleasant bitterish taste ; where the substance has been cut so as to allow the milk to flow,

1 From yaka, milk and p«'<<), to flow. Veil none. Stem naked, firm, sub-equal, difi'used into the pileus.
Pileus fleshy, tu-m, piano-depressed, umbUicate, margin even, when young involute. Gills unequal, often forked,
narrow, attenuated behind, adnato-decurrent. The whole plant abounding in a milky juice. Large or middle sized
persistent frequently acrid fungi, gi'owiug on the ground.

stewing turns it green ; these two points^ besides otlierSj more liarticularly identify it with the Agaric
described by Withering as A. Listeri, and wliich probably is the true plant of Lister; it has a smooth pileus
whereas A. piperatus of AYithering and Linna;us, our A. Torminosus and which is considered most deadly^ is
the " Mouton Zone " of the French peasants, so called to distinguish it from the zoneless " Mouton blanc "
which they eat ; now as sheep, whether French or English, are fleecy, A. vellereus is cleaxly pointed out by
their distinction, for it lies between two woolly individuals, not between a long-woolled and a shorn sheep.

Dr. Badliam says "the controversus of Vittadini is the fungus wliich the peasants about Lucca eat
under the name of the Lucchese Goat, it grows in great abundance in the chestnut forests of the environs.
The milk which it pours out very copiously is white and in all its sensible quahties identical with the
Agaricus piperatus of Scopoli and Agaricus vellereus of Fries. It resembles both those funguses very
closely, but differs fi-om the first in not changing to umber when bruised and in having the gills simple, very
pale flesh-colour not wliite ; from Ag. vellereus in not having a tomentum exceiDt at its border and in the
colour, shape, and frequency of its gills ; it is generally white, but sometimes vnth a yellowish tinge of
epidermis, it soon becomes very pungent and not a httle bitter, not^-ithstanding which unpromising ante-
cedents, the peasants are not afraid to sup upon it grilled or fried with a piece of chestnut bread, and do not
suffer. Somewhat imeasy at the extreme pungency of the milk, I have contented myself with tasting it ;
it loses all this pungency, however, by cooking."

This Agaricus controversus we have not as yet found in England, and om- readers will agree that there
seems little to regret in the deficiency. Persoon describes A. cotitroversus as the species most commonly
eaten, being t. 538, fig. c, d, e, BuUiard. Lactarius piperatus of Fries is ^e piperatus of the Flora, vol. vi.
A. acri.<i, 200 of Bidhard. A. Listeri, Withering. Tlie very first opportunity, our present subject A. vellereus
shall be tasted, for though clearly it is not the "Lucchese Goat," it may be the "Mouton blanc."

" I should think ScopoH's species is rather A. vellereus ; whether any of these be the esculent species
of the continent I cannot say ; I suspect A. vellereus." — Berkeley.

There is a large Agaric much resembUng A. vellereus, but without milk, hence called Exsnccus ; the
giUs of this are sometimes edged with a verdigris tinge which, and the absence of milky juices, ^vill sufficiently
distinguish the plant.

The difficulty of deciding on funguses of so very doubtful a character even to the experienced in such
matters, will we trust discourage rash experiments on individuals of the genus Lactarius ; particularly the
pallid members of it.

1^-

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXIV.

POLYPORUS ULMARIUS, .y....%

Elm tree Poly2iorus.

Gen. Cltar. Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores, with thin,
simple, dissepiments. Name n-oXis, many, and mpos, a j'ore, in allusion to the numerous pores of the hymenium.

Spec. Char. Polyporus ulmarius. Pileus between fleshy and corky, eff'used with an obtuse occasionally
free margin ; forming a new stratum every year, so that a vertical section gives several distinct layers of pores and
flesh alternating with each other ; zoneless, smooth, whitish ; pores minute, tawny salmon-colour. Flesh white.
Substance, when dry, hard and corky.
Polyporus ulmarius. Fries, Berkeley.
Boletus ulmarius, Sowerhy.

Hah. On aged elms, often close to the ground. Biennial or perennial. Not common.

Sowerby appears to have been the first to notice this fungus, and he describes it so gvapliically, that
no apology is needed for giving his own words : it would not be easy to improve upon them. " Boletus
ulmarius may be found on old or rotting elms {ulmus campestris) thriving in damp weather most part of
the year. It is a very solids tough, unshapen mass, often very large, commonly attached by the back so as
only to show the edge of the rugged pileus. The pores are very fine, frequently in many strata under each
other of various lengths. I found a large mass spreading full three feet, last autumn, in the hoUow of an
old elm in St. James's Park, forming a grotesque kind of ceiling of different tints." On this text we may
note, that Sowerby appears to have found the plant only when mature ; the various layers of pores, indica-
ting various periods of growth, prove this, as well as his speaking of its being " very solid and tough." In
its first state it must be effused very rapidly, and is of so soft and juicy a consistency as to embrace grass,
ivy, tmgs ; in fact every obstacle to its spreading is involved in its white downy substance, as it flows in
undulations, like inspissated sap ; in wet weather and in situations abundant in moisture, it attains a large
size, without any determinate configuration ; the salmon-buff pores are not visible at first, but a few form
here and there as the substance hardens ; then comes a fresh supply of moisture inducing a fresh formation
of pileus, again hardening and forming pores, and so it goes on ; two or three increments take place in one
year, guided entirely by the moisture afforded, the entire period of growth is perhaps extended through
several years, but the particular portions of pileus first developed grow dry, pallid, are covered with green
Algee, and are in fact only skeletons, inert and lifeless ; a gradual decay takes place ; therefore, although the
mass is perennial, the growths composing it are annual, for they are not in perfection for a longer period.
In Kent, where elm is the weed of the soil, and the hedge-rows are often composed of it pleached, the old
stools afford frequent specimens of P. idmarim, where repeated wounds of the hedge-biU cause the sap to

flow ; in such places it runs out over the baak among the sticks and weeds, and would puzzle the tyro
greatly. Soft as it looks, it is after a time extremely tough, and you can quite as easily divide the wood it
grows from, as itself. Occasionally, when produced higher up in trees, the pileus is very compact,
rounded in a dimidiate style, with smooth buff margin, bright bay pileus, and most minute pores of a hue
rather redder than nankeen, particularly clean and dehcate. The mass of pores is never plane, but swelling
in gentle protuberances. The smell of this Polyporus is disagreeable. Perhaps it would make Amadou ;
Pries places it among the Pomentarii ; the corky inner substance is at all times pure white. Its rarity is
its great recommendation to the Mycologist. With regard to our portrait we have a word to say; a critic, a
better judge of art than of fungi, objected to the drawing that it is uncertain and " indktinct in character;"
as that is precisely the character of the Polyporus, it is complimentary instead of the reverse ; but as other
criticisms of the same kind may be made, this fact is stated in order to meet them.

The colouring of Sowerb/s figure is quite improper, but the outhne (his own performance) correct ;
he seems to have had very ill luck in his coloiu' in several instances, even allowing for fading &;c.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXV.

FISTULINA HEPATICA, wMenn^.

Liver of the Oak.

Gen. Char. Hymenium formed of a distinct substance, but concrete with the fibres of the pDeus. Tubes at
first wart-like, somewhat remote, closed, radiato-fimbriate, at length approximate, elongated, open. Name from
the fistidose uatm'e of the hymenium.

Spec. Cliar. PisTDLiNA hepatica. Fleshy, but juicy, rootless, pileus undivided, roundish, dimidiate, spathu-
late, sometimes substipitate, margin obtuse, rich red-brown tinged with vermilion, studded with minute stellate,
furfuraceous tufts, the rudiments of tubes. Substance thick and juicy, marbled like the section of an ox tongue'
consisting of fibres which spring from the base, distilling a red pellucid juice whicli oozes out from different parts
of the plant. Hymenium at first covering the whole nodular process ; as that becomes spathulate, convex, elegantly
tinged with shades of red or vermOion, dotted with rose-like somewhat remote radiated warts, which form a veil to
the young tubes ; as the pileus expands the tubes elongate, become approximate, straw-coloured or pale olive-yellow,
and are jagged at their orifices. Flavom- like A. campestris but acid.
FiSTTJLlNA hepatica, WitJiering, Fries, Berkeley, Greville.

buglossoides, Bulliard.

Boletus hepaticus, Schceffer, Sowerby, Persoon.

Hah. On various trees, principally oaks. August and September.

There are but two members of the geuus Fistulina known, one only, our present subject, being Euro-
pean; it is therefore an easily ascertained fungus, about which there can be no error. In its fully
matured state it resembles a Polyporus, whence Schseifer and others have called it Boletus (the old name
for all tubed funguses). On making a section of a full-grown plant, it will be found composed of fibres
which all take their origin at the base, running up to the pored surface ; on tearing the pileus wliich is
easily done in that direction, every bundle of fibres brings with it a certain proportion of tubes, which arc
concrete with the ends of these fibres, although formed of a distinct substance. This alone will not sufficiently
distinguish the Fistuhna from some of the Polyporuses : P. giganteus, for instance, which can be ruptured
in the same manner ; but in tliis case the tubes are not only concrete with the pileus, but connected among
themselves by dissepiments ; you cannot separate an isolated tube, whereas in Fistulina each tube is distinct
in itself, and when dried they curl and twist, looking Kke spines, particularly if their fringed mouths had
not previously opened ; their extreme depth is half an inch.

In the neighbourhood of Hayes, where very ancient pollard oaks abound, Fistulina hejmtica is very
common ; we have never found it on any other tree, although it is said to grow on otlrers, and in Italy often
sprouts out from the chestnut, an eloquent " Tongue," proclaiming its own excellence, and inviting the
passenger to eat it, according to Monsieur Paulet, who is answerable for this comical poetic flight. It is
found also on younger oaks, if they have been wounded, aud are not in a thriving condition ; it grows
frequently high up in the tree. Tliirty pounds weight, in specimens weighing from a quarter of a pound
to two or three pounds each, have several times been collected at one quest.

Having some jars of it filiicli had been boiled down, and had afterwards fermentedj the contents
were smeared upon and into the recesses of pollard oaks, wliich had been grubbed the spring previous, and
here and there shot out a few leaves in expiring energy; six weeks afterwards, on the fourth of
September, a very fine Fistulina grew on one of the trunks ; this does not prove that it came from the
fermented fungus we had placed there ; it might have grown of its own accord, without our apphcatiou, as
the tree was exactly in the state to produce it ; but be this as it may, the opportunity for watcliing the
growth and development was good, and the results are given, as the liistory of one is the history of all.

A nodular excrescence of bright vermilion and rich crimson appears, it is quite dull in surface, minutely
papillate and velvety all over; in a few days it is spathulate or tongue-shaped, less scarlet in colour, but
stiU all over papillate, except a few shining streaks on the upper surface ; the growth continues laterally as
well as forwards, so that the spathulate shape is lost, and the "langue de bceuf" is broader than it is long;
it retains the appearance of a stem from the part next the tree wanting room for expansion. The pileus
becomes all over deep dull red and shining at the top, rather viscid, and the epidermis is dotted with the
dispersed papillae ; beneath it Kes a stratum of red jelly, which runs out if the skin is pierced, .(eventually
the growth of the plant absorbs tliis liquid) ; the hymenium has now become very distinct from the upper
surface and is of a lovely buff salmon or ilesh colour, studded with dots of a redder hue, the minute
"rosettes" which as yet veil the tubes; these give a roughness exactly like the texture of a cow's tongue.
In the next stage the tubes appear, lengthen as they grow, and have lost the rosy tinge, being plain straw-
buff; as yet their orifices are closed. When these open, they are fringed, and the whole under surface
turns dingy olivaceous yellow from the ripened spores ; these are hanging beneath in an elegant net-work,
not attached " by spider's threads " as at first supposed, but, as far as can be ascertained, attached to each
other by an innate viscidity at the moment of ejection from the tubes, thus forming little loops like
necklaces ; they are pallid ochre wdth a slight olivaceous tinge. The upper part of the fungus has ulti-
mately become rough and blackened red, channelled in the direction of the fibres, flaccid and discoloured ;
it resembles at last a piece of bullock's liver, whence its name Hepatica. The process of growth to maturity
occupied a fortnight, to decay a third week.

The Fistulina hepatica often attains considerable dimensions, but an average fine specimen of the
ordinary standard may measure ten inches across, and weigh three or four pounds. The largest being
flaccid are not nearly so heavy in proportion as more compact ones. When cut across the likeness to a
slice of tongue is ludicrous. In youth the flesh is mottled, pink-white, short, and crisp ; in age deep red
or purplish, tough, and stringy. It may be taken as a rule that Fistulinas are not fit for the table after
their tubes are fully developed. In substance we do not recommend them unless finely minced with veal
and a little lemon, which amalgamates with the acid of the Fistulina itself; tliis preparation is very eatable :
broiled they may appear like a beaf-steak to a hungry Croat, but John BuU is better acquainted with the
genuine dish. If, however, Fistulina liepatica is not beef itself, it is sauce for it, sliced and macerated with
salt after the manner of mushroom ketchup ; the deep red liquor that is produced should be put hot into
a dish, with a little lemon-juice and minced eschalots, and the broiled rump-steak deposited on it ; great will
be the surprise of the epicure at the quantity of gravy the steak has afforded, greater still when told that it
is the simple juice of a fungus, for the similitude to the juice of the beef is exact. This ketchup must be
strained from the substance raw, afterwards boiled with spice for keeping like other ketchup, but is not to
be employed except to represent beef gravy ; it has not the flavour of Mushrooms.

Hale. ZIY/

.,..:#^^

B,B tU imp -

Agaric LI o ^aleolanus, Sow.

Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXVI.

AGARICUS PILEOLARIUS, ^o.^.r^j'.

Series Leucosporus.
Sub-genus Clitocybe.' Sub-division Dasyphylli.^

Spec. Cliar. A. pileolarius. Pileus, in maturity, from four to six inches across, but at first very little wider
than the stem ; broadly and obtusely umbonate, at length infundibuliform, with or without traces of the umbo, the
margin always incurved ; compact, firm, elastic, smooth, like kid leather, wrinkling in drying, but swelling out again
in a remarkable manner if set in water ; clear uniform buff, cream-colour. GDIs of the same shade as the pileus or
rather redder, (not white, not close), very decm'rent, narrow and attenuated towai'ds the stem, the circle where they
terminate upon it regularly defined. Stem from four to six inches high, an inch or more thick at the base, attenua-
ted gradually upwards, firm, elastic, streaked with red, solid, (not stuffed) supported among grass &c., by a cottony
web which runs up it irregularly. Plesh white (not of the same coloui- as the pileus), moderately thick in the
centre ; flavour and smeU agreeable. Esculent.
Agaeicus pileolai'ius, Sowerhy.

geotrupus, Tria.

infundibuliformis, /3. major, Berkeley.

Hab. Open woodlands, often in rings, like A. oreades, upon the roots of grass.

Whatever difficulty there may be about foreign synonymes, we have no hesitation in determining that
our present subject is the Agaric to which Sowerby gave the name Pileolarius. This, Fries identifies with his
A. f/eolnipus, saying that it corresponds with his A. nmxinms but is firmer, smoother, and more changeable
in colour. Specimens extremely similar to the A.pileolamis now given, Iiave been studied in various sites,
particularly in Hampshire, and at Bromley Scrubs, and answer the description of A. maximus very well ;
they grew in hedges, and among dead leaves in woods, and have a strong and disagreeable smell of Prussic
Acid ; they are every way coarser in their development, irregular in shape, lobed and waved, often eight
inches across, with a strongly marked umbo even in the most depressed specimens ; the stem is not marked
with " long pale blotches of reddish brown " (Sowerby), but the whole plant is uniform in colour, of a
redder buff, not so pm'c and clean as the true A. pileolarius.

It is very possible that the differences between these two plants are merely from soil and climate.
" Le Grand AUier de Suisse " of Paulet, {Rypophyllum helveticum) is very near them. That author says

' From KKiros, a steep or declivity, pointing to the shape of the pileus when young, and kv/3i;, a head. Veil none.
Pileus convex when yomig, not umbiUcate ; at length often depressed or infundibuliform. GiUs unequal, juiceless,
unchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free. Spores white.

2 From batrvs, close, and 4>vK\ov, a leaf, in allusion to the giUs. Pileus dry, smooth, giUs close, decurreut, or
acutely adnate.

lie could fiiid no description of it, although very remarkable : " it is of a uniform buff hue, the colour of the
belly of the chamois or fawn ; four or five inches liigh, the pileus ' mamelone ' in the centre, four or five
inches wide, dry, even, smooth as satin. The flesh wliite, rather soft in the centre, stem cyhndricaJj
stuffed, of half an inch diameter, three or four inches high, the base tuberous or bulbous, with Uttle downy
roots. When fresh it smells strongly of garlic, but after a time this odour is dissipated, and it finally
changes to that of bitter almonds. It is found in Switzerland and in Franche Comte, and sold with the
Mousseron de Suisse {Pnmulws or A. yeorgii) ; it is perfectly wholesome." (Paulet.)

" In hedges &c. ; sometimes the lip is not turned over, but wine-glass-shaped. Smell like ahnonds,
clean, hard, smooth, even-coloured like buff-kid; gills the same colour." (r.R. Hants specimens).
Given a picturesque giant oak, wliich might remember Csesar, only probably he never came to Keston, and
fancy a circle round it of these fairy Tazzas ; all perfect in form, and growing distinctly at about two feet
apart in a ring of thirty feet in diameter ; with fine deer-grass and green mosses at their feet, and the
feathers of the fern waving over all ; the situation is the verge of a lofty inland promontory, where the air
is as bracing and pure as that of the Swiss mountains themselves, and perhaps as you breathe it, and look
on aU the beauty round you, you will consider the pure quality of the Agarics accounted for, compared
■nith such sites as the fat meadows of the Itchin or the foul woods, aptly styled ' Scrubs.' Wien free from
insect life, this fiuigus dries remarkably well, corrugating fi-om the margin inwards in regular concentric
wrinkles ; if placed erect in a glass of water, as much as ten days after gathering, it swells gradually as the
liquid is imbibed by the stem, till restored to its origiiral dimensions ; but tliis experiment cannot be
repeated.

All the examples we have studied had elastically solid stems diffused into the pileus, but perhaps the
central texture is loose in large specimens growing with great rapidity, and if so, it will remove a discre-
pancy between A. pileolarins as we observed it, and as Pries describes it, under the head A. geotnqms, and
his A. maximus. In consistency and flavour as a culinary article, it is nearest A. oreades.

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Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXVII.

AGARICUS DELICIOSUS, zm.^«.

Orange milked Agaric.
Series Letjcosporus. Sub-genus Galorrheus.^

Spec. Cliar. A. deliciosus. Pileus four inches or more broad, viscid, zoned, orange-fulvous turning pale,
duU, as if there were the remains of a minute very closely pressed dirty-white web. Hemisphei'ical when young,
in which state the margin is decidedly involute and tomentose, at length expanded, fleshy. The whole plant
abounding with orange milk, which on exposure to the air, dries green. GDIs decurrent, from the fii'st of the same
colour as the pUeus, forked at the base, rather broad and distant ; spores ochraceous white. Stem three inches
high, curved, stuffed, more or less hollow, scrobiculate, strigose at the base. Odour and taste agreeable, but
sometimes slightly acrid.
Agaeicus deliciosus, Linrmus, Schoeffer, Fries, Berkeley, Sowerby, Witliering.

Hah. Under the Scotch fir {Pinm sylvestru), not uncommon. September and October. Esculent. Excellent.

The Agaric most likely to be mistaken for A. deliciosus, is one we have givenheioie, A..Jle.vuosH.i;
small specimens of thatj while growing, are much like faded ones of the Deliciosus, having the same appearance
of a pallid web being extended over the pileus, or rather as if excoriated ; both are viscid and zoned. On
.^ viewing the under side, however, of these two Agarics, there is considerable diflerence in the hue of the
gUls, those of A. deUciostt-s being a much deeper colour ; reddish-yellow, " bright aurora or flame-coloured,"
shot with the pale spores, which are not pui-e dead wliite, but have a decided tinge of yellow-oclire, when
in a mass.

The fracture of A. deliciosus, or any milky Agaric supposed to be it, is the main point to attend to ;
the juices are invariably in the true plant, rich orange, like a slice of carrot ; A. tkeiogalus has white milk
changing to a beautiful delicate yellow, but this cannot be confounded with our present subject ; not only
is " dehcate yellow " by no means the same thing as intense orange, but the cut or broken parts of
A. iheiogalus are white at first, and assume the yeUow tinge afterwards. The nulk of many of this genus
/ of Agarics undergoes a change from exposure to the air, but none the pecuKar one which at once deter-

mines A. deliciosus ; the orange exudation becomes green, and this fact, which if we knew no better, might
be supposed an objection to it, is a token that we have got hold of one of the best of the esculent funguses !
We fancy, for we do not know, that a Boletus, which turns blue or green when divided, is therefore dele-
terious, but this is possibly a fallacy, for in Agarics certainly that colour is not connected in some cases,

' From ydXa, milk, and pew, to flow. Veil none. Stem naked, fij-m, subequal, diffused into the pileus.
Pileus fleshy, firm, piano-depressed, imibilicate, margin even, when young involute. GUIs unequal, often forked,
uaiTow, attenuated behind, adnato-decuiTent. The whole plant abounding with a milky juice. Spores white,
sometimes ochraceous.

with injurious qualities. A. lepiclus, an excellent member of the Russulse, when subjected to culinary
operations, turns to an intense verdigris wherever it has been cut ; but instead of rejecting the contents of
the " Tourtiere " (anglice, pie-dish) on that account we should eat with more confidence, assured by that
pecuhar change to green, that A. emeticus had not been used instead of the wholesome kind. The
" Tourtiere " mode of cooking suits A. delieiosus best, as it is firm and crisp in substance ; be careful to use
only sound specimens, reduce these by cutting across to one uniform bulk, place the pieces in a pie-dish
with a little pepper and salt, and a small bit of butter on each side, tie a paper over the dish and bake
gently from half to tliree quarters of an hour. Serve them up in the same hot dish, and you wiU have
something much better than kidneys, wliich they strongly resemble, both in flavour and consistence.
There is but one Agaric better than this, its near relative A. volemum which is much more rare, but its portrait
has been taken, and if it can be included in our stipulated number of plates, it shall appear. We have
never found A, delieiosus in any other situation than where the earth was filled with roots of the Scotch
fk ; in plantations among young trees it does not grow, a certain period seems required before any spot
planted with this pine, is favourable to the Agaric ; while the branches are yet near the soil, and before the
roots have stretched far from the trunk it does not appear, but afterwards, when the space beneath the tree
lies fair and open, in exposed situations such as parks and commons, the search for A. delieiosus is seldom
in vain. It is not confined to northern or elevated sites, for a most abundant growth was in Avington
Park, Hants ; there is one peculiarity, which seems universal, it prefers the south and south-west side of
the fir-tree, it is never on the north-east and generally placed beyond the drip from the branches. Aged
specimens of A. delieiosus are said to possess some acrimony in a raw state ; this has never been the case
with Kentish ones ; Mr. Francis found them " sometimes more or less aerid ; " Mr. Berkeley's experience
is of their being always so. AH that can be said is, we have so often eaten them as to be convinced of
their perfect wholesomeuess ; this is also the opinion of our friend Dr. Badham ; but if, in any pecuhar
locality, they are found to be seriously acrimonious, they should be ventured on more cautiously ; they wOl
probably lose that flavour in cooking.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Fileati.

Plate LXVIII.

AGARICUS CAULICINALIS, 5«//w

Small scaly Agaric.
Series Leucosporus. Subgenus Collybia.'

Spec. Char. A. caulicinalis. Pileus from two to seven lines broad, convex at first, and minutely umbonate,
then expanded, depressed or umbilicate, whitish, with small shining red-brown scales, disposed sometimes in zones,
rendering tlie margin jagged ; sometimes the pileus is merely minutely velvety ; in large specimens the margin is
sulcate. Gills distant, with a few shorter ones, nearly free, thickish, of a yellowish tinge, various in breadth, some-
times rather ventricose. Stem from three quarters of an inch to an inch and a half high, not half a line thick,
flexuous, filiform, clothed with red-brown woolly tomentum, or squamules, fibriUose or scaly ; often perforating the
substance on which it grows, composed of fibres, with a narrow fistulose hue down the centre.
Agaricus caulicinalis, BitUiard, Berkeley.
stipitarius. Tries.

Hab. On grass, thatch, sticks, stumps, &c. August and September.

" When in perfection few Agarics are more elegant ; " with this opinion of Mr. Berkeley's every one
will coincide. Among the notes upon it we find — " scent like the mushroom, taste also Kke the mushroom ; "
but alas ! for the epicure who may fancy that, hke a lai-k or wheat-ear, esculent excellence is concentrated in
small bodies ; the next observation is — " flesh none : " it would scarcely furnish sauce for a lark, even if found
in abundance, which it is not. The specimens from which the annexed drawing was made, grew " in thick
clusters upon mossy thatch, firmly attached to the straws, shrivelling into Uttle cups, green ^vith minute
Algae in age."

We are as anxious as any one can be to shew the value and good qualities of the tribe generally, and
so when we can say notliing else in praise, are glad to point out beauty at least ; and to declare against the
necessity of proving utility as the only just ground for attention. Let the ugly things be useful ; we will
some day introduce to you, good utilitarian, the Boletus, called jtiar excelleiice Edulis.

■ The world is full of beauty that we pass by unlieeded. There, opposite, is an ugly thatched bam,
elsewhere perhaps picturesque, but not when blocking the view from the window ; we cannot plant it out, there
is a road between — we cannot cover it with ivy, for it is not ours ; but look with changed ideas, set aside the
prejudiced spectacles, and you will see that every season decks that ragged thatch with beauties of its own ;

' From KoXXu/Jof, a small piece of money. Stem fistulose, though often indistinctly so, slender, equal, round,
firm, often rooting. Pileus carnoso-membranaceous, tough, convex, then plane, sometimes depressed in the centre,
smooth, dry. Gills obtuse behind, free or fixed, never decurrent, unequal, juiceless, plane, quite entire. Small dry
persistent fungi, growmg on the ground, or epiphytes.

the greenest mosses — now red-brown in tlie sun-shine, now decked with thousands of fanciful fairy bells or
extinguisher cajjs, and on those large long straws, which the sparrows loosened in their rummage for grains
of corn left behind, grow the small delicate tufts of v4^ari«* cauUcinalis, clasping the straws by their woolly
stems ; as fantastic and graceful as if Titania herself had created them to ornament her bower.

And so tliTough Hfe, good reader, may it be with thee ; if the barn must be there, make the most of
the thatch.

" But opposite me is an old wall : I should not mind if I had your thatch with the pretty things on
it." And if I had your bricks, I should study the wonderful " weather stains," as the artist calls them,
Leprarias, &c., they are.

There are higher considerations than mere optimism to teach dutiful resignation, but that will stand
in good stead to strengthen patience and content.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXIX. .

AGARICUS PERONATUS, 5oto.

Sjmtterdash Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Scortei.'

Spec. Char. Agaricus peronatus. Pileus from one inch to two inches and a half broad, convex or campa-
nulate, at length expanded, sometimes umbonate, carnoso-coriaceous, subrufescent or yellowish, pallid when dry,
clothed with a minute matted silkiness. Gills pale reddish or bullish, of the same shade as the pileus, with a yellowish
margin, distinct, rounded behind, almost free. Stem firm two to three inches high, two lines thick, composed of
fibres, solid above and downy, hollow below and there covered with dense yellow strigse. Taste nauseous, acrid ;
smell fungoid, disagreeable.

Agaricus peronatus, Bolton, Fries, Berkeley, Sow., With., Greville.

Hub. Among rotten leaves, particularly of the oak ; July to November, not uncommon.

In the plate given of the various Agarics which have been confounded with the Champignon, A. oreades,
it appeared quite unnecessary to include A. peronatus, although one of the nearest allies of that excellent
species, for it is so very easily distinguished as to preclude the possibility of mistake. Many Agarics arc
held in an upright position among fallen leaves, &c. by cottony fibres, which proceeding from the stem
throw out their grasping tentacles in every direction, but chiefly in that, where resistance is most needed ;
but the strigse, which clothe the lower half of the stem in the present instance, are much more even, close,
and of equal developement all round, like a " fluffy " long-napped woollen hose, drawn round the lower
extremity of the toad-stool, which thus stands boldy, and, we suppose, comfortably supported on fallen leaves
of oak, an elegant and strongly marked individual of the genus Agaric ; no other has half so determined a
legging. The buff variety of Laccatus may carelessly be mistaken for it, for that has cottony fibres at the base,
but of a snow wliite hue, and not half so abundant and regular as the " Guernsey hose " of A. peronatus,
wliicli are never white but cream-yellow ; the peculiar red tint, also indicative of an A. laccatus, is absent in
A.peronatus, which is of a uniform buff-leather colour, such as spatterdashes were made of in the ancient
days, when " Antigropelos " had not dawned upon the rapt vision of their patentee. " Perhaps this Agaric was
named from the texture of its pdeus, instead of the covering for its leg ? " tlus doubt is suggested by a
mischievous etymologist; any peg will do to hang etymological arguments upon, and we ever eschew

' From scorteus, coriaceous. Pileus sub-coriaceous, dry. Gills free, subdistant, at length pallid.

dispute. In the absence of Bolton, who alone could say why he thus designated the Agaric,^ we leave it to
the reader to decide on the probabilities, simply hinting, that the usual position of a spatterdash is not on
the head, and thus unavoidably demonstrating our own personal leaning in the matter. To quit our stilts,
the substance of Feronatus is tough and leathery, which gives it place ;unong the Scortei, or coriaceous,
wliite spored Agarics, belonging to the division Clitocybe, the members of which, being entirely destitute
of veil, have of course none of those appendages which are the remains of it in other classes, such as the
ring, scaly epidermis, or fibriUose stem ; for the strigse on the stem of Feronatus have no connection with
such an origin. The smell is not agreeable, the flavour is pungent and nauseous : it is a very pretty member
of the great Agaric family, more we cannot advance in its favour ; we are ignorant of any injurious
property for wliich it may deserve condemnation, but being of suspicious character, any esculent experiment
upon it is to be deprecated.

' " Peronatm " is a term applied to all those stems which have similar strigse at tlie base, and this Agaric
among Peronated ones is, par excellence, Feronatus.

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Order Gasteromycetes.^ Tribe TrichogastresP-

Plate LXX.

LYCOPERDON PYRIFORME, sc^.

Pear shaped Puff-ball.

Gen. Char. Peridium membrauaceous, with an adnate subpersistent bark, within furnished at the base with a
spongy sterile stratum. Capillitium unequal.

Sjjec. Char. Lycopekdon pykiforme. Peridium membranaceous, persistent, subpyriform, opening by the
umbonate apex, covered with the innate bark, and veiy slender fugacious scales, columella conic, spores greenish-
yeUow.
Lycoperdon pyriforme, Schceffer, Fries, Berkeley, BuUiard, Greville.

Proteus, JTUhering.

ovoideum, BtiUiard.

Hah. On rotten stumps in sandy plains and ou peaty commons often tufted.

Among the many Protean forms of Lycoperdon gemmatum will be found examples extremely resembling
this Lycoperdon pyriforme ; the differences are almost inappreciable, one only is, ou comparison of matured
specimens, constant, it is this : in all the varieties of L. gemmahim the contents of the peridium, receptacle,
or puff-ball are of a much deeper shade than in L. pyriforme which has them, greenish pale yeUow instead of
the yellowish olive-green of its rival. An elongated barren stratum, forming a stem to the receptacle, is in
common to both species, so is the conic central column, running from the stem towards the apex of the
puff, giving it an umbonate shape ; the external mealy scales are no distinction, but the umbo is more
invariably and decidedly prominent, and of a deeper brown in L.p)yrforme; tliis latter fungus is also of
much less substantial consistence than the commoner puff-balls, wliich when pressed are elastic, leathery, and
firm before they bm'st natm-aUy, while L. pyriforme yields to the finger as a dehcate inflated membrane, so
delicate and fragile that the slightest pressure indents the head, which decays and bursts at its most rotund
portion, before the mouth opens. Truth to tell, in the range of our personal experience we never saw it
open-mouthed at all, but dare not suppose that error exists on the part of higher authorities. We have only
found it on hght peaty sand after heavy rains ; in a drier habitat the plant probably has time to expand
" selon les regies," instead of irregularly bursting from excess of moisture.

Whether Lycoperdon pyriforme ever affects the " ring " style of growth we cannot say, our specimens

' Prom yamyp, the «to«ac/i!, and /ivicjjr, a/««yi«; hymenium included within the receptacle.
2 Prom 6p\i, a hair, and yasnjp, the stomach ; receptacles filled with floccose hairs among which the spores are
placed.

are not tufted^ although grouped in close neighbourhood, two together, or at most three, springing from one
spot without the stems thence becoming confluent ; they push each other aside and are essentially separate
plants. Upon stumps we have never met with it ; in that situation the crowding of the stems into a
small and rigid space would occasion an analogous mode of growth, the spawn being circumscribed and
unable to spread. AU funguses increasing by spawn form rings when they are uninterrupted, probably in
part from the central exhaustion causing the young shoots seeking food to push into new soil. These rings
annually increase, and, in the case of most of the Ly coper don family, become very large.

The Giant Puff-ball is of annular growth, so is the common Puff-ball or Devil's Snuff-box, and this
year (1848) we found on the same site of sandy peat wliich produces Lycoperdon pyriforme, an inunense
ring of L. saccatwn, the individual members of which were about a foot apart. It is not meant to imply
that funguses increasing by spawn are invariably found in rings, because it is self-evident every ring must
have had a solitary plant or small group as a nucleus, and after its increase has attained a circular develope-
ment, so many accidents may divert the tender filaments from their natural com-se ; we believe however that
if free from injury or obstacle, to form circles increasing outwardly is the natural tendency of spawn-propa-
gated funguses. Vittadini says, if small puff-balls be dug up they will be found connected by fragile threads
from which proceed minute embryo pufl's ; that these dehcate communications, which resemble the finest
cotton fibres should be destroyed, thereby impairing the form of the ring, is not wonderful : it is much more
wonderful that any escape in pastures and exposed situations. Every worm that pushes up, every insect
that buries itself, must destroy threads finer than the finest roots of phenogamous plants. Mr. Mole mines
underneath ; Mrs. Sow and her progeny root above, and the hoof of horse or ox crushes : only on lawns
can we watch the progressive increase of " Fairy-rings " tlu'ough several seasons, but alas ! so disgusting are
they to practical gardeners, that to eradicate the offenders is subject for a Society-of-Arts prize ! We assure
the Society no palliatives ^iU answer, radical measures alone succeed : dig out the soil two feet deep and a
foot outwardly beyond the circle of green, then fresh soil and turf must be substituted, guiltless of
Champignons.

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Order Htmenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXI.

AGARICUS AUREUS, ^«/w

Golden Agaric.
Series Derminus.' Sub-genus Pholiota.^

Spec. Cliar. A. aureus. Gregarious, tufted. Pileus very variable in size, sometimes four inches or more broad,
convexo-expanded, ricli tawny with broad, adpressed, silky scales in the centre, which towards the margin become
mere streaks ; fleshy. Flesh pale yellow. Gills at first pale yellow, then tawny ferruginous from the spores,
adnexed, rounded behind or decurrent in the same group. Spores tawny ferruginous. Stem three or four inches
high, one inch or more thick, solid, tough, spongy above, below looser, often cavernous ; thickened downwards,
bulbous, furnished near the top with a small deflexed, rather thick ring which is densely powdered \vith the spores ;
in aged specimens it sometimes has disappeared, but the place remains marked on the stem ; under the gills
minutely squamulose, below fibrillose, the fibriUae close, paler than the pileus. Root consisting of a few downy
fibres. Taste bitter. Sometimes the pileus is dull and the scales not adpressed, sometimes shining, with adpressed
scales. In each tuft one or two Agarics only attain full dimensions and expansion, at the expense of aU the rest,
which are crowded, compressed, and even flattened.
Agaricus aureus, Bidliard, Fries, Berkeley, Sowerhtj.

Sab. On stumps or roots, left in the ground, of various trees. August to October.

Afjaricus aureus is a very characteristic fuiigus, where it has room to develope itself properly, particu-
larly before the ring breaks away from the pileus ; the round head and thick bulbous stem out of all
proportion with it, will strike every one as singular. The veU of most Agarics, if they are taken up in a
half-grown state, separates from the pUeus, forming the ring, as if they had remained undisturbed; the
various species of Amauite do this remarkably ; however close the curtain may be over-night, it is generaUy
drawn aside in the morning ; but A. aurem removed from its site is unchangeable, no expansion takes
place, for days it continues in the same state, probably because it is of a much firmer, less juicy consistency
than these others. The growth is very slow, and out of groups consisting of a dozen in family, one or two
only usurp, and keep the upper hand entirel}-, as the plate represents. The eldest son flourishes in all the
grandeur of primogeniture, the second is tolerably comfortable as heir presumptive, the rest — stop ! we had
better not talk politics — at any rate, one thing is very peculiar in the families of A. aurem, if the larger
specimens decay or are taken away, the smaller do not fill out in their place ; they appear to have been so

' From hip^a, sk'ui or membrmu. Veil not arachnoid. Spores ferruginous.

- From <^oXtf, a scale. VeO dry forming a ring which is sometimes membranaceous, sometimes radiato-floccose.
Stem more or less scaly. Pileus convex, at length more or less plane, not imibilicate. Gills unequal, juiceless,
changhig colour. Spores ferruginous or fulvo-fevruginous, not reddish-ochre.

dwarfed by the other vigorous growths as never to recover it, and weeks after may be found no fiu-ther
advanced ; so far, our impertinent compaiison faUs, for the poor little middy who went to sea, because he
was a family superfluity yesterday, is recalled to be a great man now his brothers are removed, and he
accepts the first position in as noble a style as they held it.

This Agaric, like many other yellow Funguses, is bitter ; a number of Phenogamous plants iu wliich
the yellow principle predominates are so, hence, in the days of simples, it was beheved that yellow tilings
cui-ed that yellow melancholy, the Jaundice ; if homoeopathic sympathy and faith were not effectual, the
tonic miglit do good. In all probability various funguses have medicinal qualities of which we are totally
ignorant. The testing them on the canine race, as Paulet did, is not satisfactory to humanity, and none
feel disposed to make essays upon themselves which would, perhaps, render them liable to be tried for
manslaughter, if others were the subjects.

With regard to ascertaining any particular species under the head Derminus, be careful in the first
place that it is in that series at all ; make sure of the spores which must be rusty yellow, not reddish-ochre,
in the Cortinarins Agarics. It is well to keep a sample of spores of an acknowledged member of each class
to compare others with. After proving your Agaric to be included in Derminus, the search is greatly
contracted, few have a substantial persistent ring ; of them, some are viscid when moist or in youth ; but
A. aureus is always quite dry. Sqiiarrosus and caperatus cannot be taken for it ; aurivellus seems the
only one liable to confusion with it, and that is veiled at the apex. This {A. aureus) has the veil attached
some distance do^Ti the stem : one difference, such as this, sufiiceth.

We found A. aureus at the foot of an oak ; also at a distance from any growing tree, but on examina-
tion, the roots of one remained in the ground.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXII.

AGARICUS PSAMMOCEPHALUS, Buiuard.

Series Cortinaria.' Sub-genus Telamonia.^

Spec. Char. Pileus from two to four inches broad, fleshy, the margin thin ; tawny-cinnamon ; at first convex,
then expanded, at length umbonate, often in age splitting at the margin ; fiufuraoeous squamulose, from the remains
of the veU, as if powdered with grit-sand, whence the name. Flesh of a paler shade of the same colour as the
pileus, not white (as in Bulliard's plate). Gills, in full maturity, darker than the pileus; arcuato-adnate, sometimes
with a decui-reut tooth, close, compressed. Stem from four to six inches high, half an inch thick, attenuated,
stuffed, squamulose and peronate from the remains of the veil, which forms an evanescent ring, above which the
stem is naked and smooth. Inodorous.
Agaricus psammocephalus, Bulliard, Fries, Berkeley, (MSS.)

Hab. On Hayes Common, among furze-bushes. Autumn.

When Agarims psammocephalus was found on Hayes Common some years ago, it was new to English
Botany ; Bulliard had figured it, but not altogether correctly ; Fries says " it is common in pine woods,"
we suppose he means in those of his own particular region. In the same situation that we first discovered
it, we have only once succeeded in procuiing other specimens ; perhaps in the ancient fir forests of Scotland,
it may be plentiful; it certainly is not so in southern Britain. Climate, however, is very independent of
degrees of latitude. The table-land forming Baston Common and Keston Heath, terminating with
Holwood, is said to be quite as bracijig and cold as Westmoreland. Great purity of air is needful to many
plants, and this district supphes a list which includes an immense variety, for if alpine specimens can be
gathered on the brow, those of southern England flourish in the secluded valley beneath. On Keston
Heath grows in profusion the Lancashire bog Asphodel, Narthecium ossifragum, in company with the snowy
cotton rush ; Hypericum elodes fringes the little runlet, the percolation from which forms the swamp ; a
Cnicus, nearly unique, lifts up its solitary purple head ; the richest mosses, pale chrysoHte green, or reddish
straw-coloui-, cover a great portion of the bog, tempting the foot to tread on them as a safe spot, then
giving all the water they contain like sponges, into the shoe ; and here and there is a black space of peat,
sparkling with silver grit-sand and gemmed with the scarlet sun-dew and its dcHcate pearl blossoms. It is a
charming bog ! long may it remain so, but we feel a reluctance to mention the spot, lest some day we
should find London " HerbaUsts " ransacking it. They have exterminated the bee-orchis from the fields
which were once lilac with it, the rai-er kinds we seldom find now in their old haunts. Osmunda regalis

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' From Cortina, a veil. Spores reddish ochre. VeU arachnoid.
- From Te\ajia>v, Uiit. Veil consisting of arachnoid fibres woven into a subpersisteut ring. Stem soUd, at
length softer within, firm, fibriUose. Pileus more or less fleshy, the margin thin, campanulate or convex, then
expanded, dry, squamulose or fibriUose. GiUs adnate or emargiuate, broad, distant, changing colom-. Large firm
Agarics, growing on the ground.

was all caiTied oif when ferns became " the fashion," and Covent Garden rejoices in the glorious fox-gloves
which used to shoot up in such profusion in our dells. Our lichens and mosses trim the bottoms of all
the stuffed-animals' glass cases, a few acres of herb Paris remain, but no one seems to fancy that dowdy
plant ! The Mycologist, however, has as yet no need to complain ; whether we explore the Warmouut,
where Agaricus Georgii grows in its vast rings above old Roman sepulchres, and where in the hottest
summer- day the air blows chilly round the Black-Ness, as it is justly called, for at a distance its promon-
torial nose generally looms dark and dull; or whether we roam through the warm, reeking, moist
atmosphere of the lovely dell called Pole Cat Alley, where tall birches weep over our heads, their silver
stems rising gracefully among the gnarled pollard-oaks ; where feathery fern grows six feet liigh beside the
mossy green, always dewy path, which the mole and the mole-cricket take the Kberty of ploughing up, and
we bury our foot in the loosened earth, as we are looking after that night-jar which just flew from among
the branches ; where the rabbit's white scut pops out of sight, and the adder and grey snake are said to
haunt, but we never met them ; where nightingales may be heard all day, and you cannot hear yourself
for nightingales in the warm luscious dewy evenings ; there, whether among dead leaves which lie for years
preventing all herbage from growing, or upon the turf, grassy parasites — the Mycologist finds Im treasures
undisturbed ; happy people we ! for our common is not worth enclosing ! and if speculation longed to try
experiments, all the parish would rise as one to oppose it. So Agarics, Boletuses, et hoc genus omne are
likely still to flourish.

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Plate LXXIII.

AGARICUS ADUSTUS,p™..

(Var. ELEPHANTINUS, Sowerby:)

Scorched Agaric.

Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Russula.'

Spec. CJiar. A. adustus, var. Elepliantinus, Soicerby. Pileus large, inelegant, from four to seven inches broad;
whitish when young, becoming umber brown, at length black as if it had been exposed to the fire ; at iii'st Lncurved,
then piano-depressed, often cracking at the margin in a machicolated manner ; in wet weather slightly glutinous, in
diy weather clothed with a very fine pubescence, which retains the impression of the fingers, changing to umber
when bruised ; sometimes when broken, the juice turns rich blood-red, but is not of a milky consistence ; the flesli
of both pileus and stem is at first white but becomes more or less red, then purplish-brown, when cut across.
Stem from two to four inches high, one inch thick, solid, possessing the cellular texture proper to the genus Russida,
but extremely firm, almost woody, not brittle. Gills straw-coloured or cream white, thick, distant, rigid, brittle,
forked, very irregular, varying from adnate to decurrent, often rounded behind, and subdecm'rent attenuated behind,
in the same plant ; generally appearing decurrent in age from the depression of the pileus. Flavour agreeable.
Inodorous. In its extreme age this Agaric does not decay in the usual manner, but acquires a resemblance to a
piece of charcoal, in which state it wiU endure for many months.
Agakicus adustus, Persoou.

adustus, var. Elephantinus, Berkeley, Greville.

Elephantinus, Sowerhy, Withering.

nigricans, Tries, BuUiard.

Hab. Under trees, generally oaks. Summer and Autumn.

There are exceptions to all rules, and two or three exceptions to this Agaric, as a genuine member of
the family Eussula ; but what is to be done ? it cannot be an outcast entirely, and has a better claim to be
included in that group than in any other. We speak of wliite black-birds, wliite Hlac, &c., so we need not
supercdiously object to a Eussula because it happens to be brown. " Veil none. Stem spongy within,"
no one can object to, for hard and rigid as the stem and flesh of the pileus are, their substance is as truly
vesiculose and cellular, as that of the friable verdette — it is the strength of material only that differs. This

' From Rasmlm, red, a predominant colour in the genus. Veil none. Stem smooth, spongy within. Pileus
with a fleshy disk and thin margin, which is not iuflexed at any period of gTowth. GiUs juiceless, either all equal,
or with a few shorter intermixed, or forked, rigid, brittle, broad in front, narrow behind, acute, properly free, but
apparently adnato-decm-rent from the ditfusiou of the stem into the pileus. Spores white or subochraoeous. Gills
white or yellow. Large or middle sized fungi, rigid, persistent, sohtary, growing on the ground.

structure becomes very apparent when the colour changes on tlie stem being cut across. "We are told that
t!ie Russulas are juiceless, and yet A. adiistus bleeds when broken ; so does one variety of the common
mushroom, but these sanguine juices are not sunilar to the flowing milk of those Agarics belonging to the
Galorrheus division ; it cannot be expressed in drops in the same way, nor is it of the same consistence as that,
which coagulates into little cream-cheeses. Fries has two Agarics which become Adust in old age, in a
similar manner, tlie cliief distinction between them being whether they turn colom- or not, when cut in
their juicy state. His Adiistus is hmmdable, therefore his Nigricans is our Adiistus Ele-phantinus, and he
himself identifies it with the plant of Sowerby.

Krombholz says that the flavour of this Agaric is acrid and burning, its scent faint and unpleasant.
In our own experience, as well as that of our friend Dr. Badliam, tliis is not so in England ; Sowerby says,
" it has a pleasant nut-like taste," with which we entirely agree ; a giU not only has the flavour, but the
exact consistence of a section of filbert ; and it is this crisp rigidity alone wliich has deterred us from
making gastronomic experiments upon it ; the substance is probably indigestible. " They are so abundant
in some parts of Kensington Gardens, that when in a black state, which they are during great part of the
year, a casual observer would think fires had been made where they grow." (Sowerby.) In this state a
pretty parasitic plant, resembling in general appearance a small Agaric, sometimes grows upon them ; it is
an Astero'pJiora, either A. Agaricoides or A. Lj/coperdoides.

The Agaric wjiich appears most likely to be mistaken for this is Agaricus necator of BuUiard, Lac-
tariiis turpis of Eries, the deadly milky Agaric ; this " Destroyer " is fortunately very rare, has a decided
greenish olive tinge on its sombre epidermis, and yields a very acrid white milk. A. vellereus grows in the
same localities and yields acrid white milk, but we have given its portrait ; and A. exsuccus is always dis-
tinguishable from other Agarics possessing dirty white infundibuliform pileuses, by a tinge of verdigris on
the gills. None of these are persistent in the same manner ; A. adustus may be found in its mummy state
by the side of young plants of the succeeding season.

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Plate LXXIV.

AGARICUS MOLLIS, >^./.^/.r

Soft stemless A(/aric.
Series Derminus.' Sub-genus Crepidotus.^

Spec. Char. A. mollis. Solitary or imbricated, subsessile, flaccid ; pileus from one inch to two inches or more
broad ; at first horizontal, subgelatinous, the base tomentose or substrigose, margin transparent, minutely tomentose ;
then ascending, subfulvous, pallid when dry, the margin waved, sometimes minutely squamulose, often stained with
the spores. Gills rounded behind, thin, watery umber, at first saturated with moisture, then dry and crisp. Very
young specimens are entirely wliite. Spores dusky ferruginous.
Agauicus mollis, Sckaffer, Fries, Berkeley, Witliermg, Sowerhy, Persoou.
canescens, Batscli.

Hah. On timber, stumps, posts, from July to October.

This pretty little Agaric grew on the lid of an old well, facing the water, and receiving light only
when the village folks brought their buckets for a supply. It seems an odd taste to prefer such a home,
but dull as the flaunting belles of the road-side bank, or vulgar as the delicate beauties screened by sylvan
bowers might think the site, it had substantial advantages for the resupinate A. mollis ; there no rude
breath of wind entered, no gritty dust settled ; dry without drought, moist without pluvious mischief, a
glimpse of the busy world was aftbrded, just sufficient to make the turning down again of that well-lid a
shutting out of annoyance instead of a fiat of banishment from society. And then what a clear mirror for
beauty ; the fair spotless little Agarics look so pretty gemming that dull wood and bending over to gaze
at themselves in the still black water. There is no situation in which you can place wood (except upon
the fire) where some fungus will not locate itself, and abstract the principles of growth and life from it.
These are not always Agarics certainly, but other and various forms of mycological existence, destined to
carry out the work of destruction, according to the superficial observer ; of renovation, seen by the eyes of
those who examine below the external appearances of things.

We cannot too strongly recommend to our friends blessed with good eyes and good microscopes, to
examine the minuter funguses ; a never wearying source of amusement, and of an interest much better
than amusement, the recognition of creative energy carrying out its operations on the smallest stick with
as much care, finish, contrivance and beauty, as on the most gigantic and subUme subject. Let not finite
intelligence pronounce anytliing beneath attention ; on looking again with a mind open to appreciate better,

' From Se'p/ia, skin or membrmie. "Veil not arachnoid. Spores ferruginous.

2 From Kprjms, a slipper, and ovs, an ear. Veil very thin, fibriUose. Pileus unequal, excentric or lateral.
Gills unequal, changing colour. Spores sub-ferruginous, sub-argillaceous, or reddish.

Infinite Intelligence will be seen displayed, as clearly iu vulgar and humble examples, as in those grand
phenomena generally cited in proof of it. The exactness with which the law for developement once laid
down is followed by any given fungus, which perhaps grows only on one particular species of wood, of
one particulai' age, at one particular period of decay, under one particular atmospheric influence, shows the
immutability of that law, as much as the germination of the acorn and the after developement of the giant
oak. To say a thing flourishes because it has found a site nutritive and propitious to it, is to say very
little, for we might select just such another position, and comparing all its circumstances which our faculties
are capable of estimating, detect no difference, find no reason why one fungus should flourish there and
not another ; nor why the same fungus should choose one and reject the other ; yet so it is.

This Agaric on the well-lid did not, in spite of our fancies on the subject, place itself there Narcissus-
Uke, because a bright mirror was offered, but because it prefers sawed timber in a disintegrating state for
its pabulum ; the weather was cold and harsh, so this sheltered site was favourable to its developement ;
others might have appeared out of doors, on the post or the pale, had the climate there been as genial as
that of the warm damp well. But why does the Agaric prefer sawed wood ? " Ab, why ? " we know only
a very small part after all. There are several funguses which, hke dry- rot, occupy the sap vessels of wood,
and form a pileus externally when t)ie saw lets in the influences of light, and aifords them liberty; why they
should not appear in preference on wood decaying naturally, is possibly because it is the fermenting juices
of younger timber which they tluive on. Besides on an artiflciaUy smoothed surface they can develope
their stemless pileuses more regularly and conveniently ; one of their sylph guardians perhaps w-hispers :
"My delicate charge. Mollis you are by nature as well by name; you will be happier, if you wait till the
carpenter has formed a couch expressly for youi- comfort, than if you hastily place yourself on a rude log ; "
and then we afterwaixls find the delicate Agaric reposing on the plank in fuU faith, " that all the world was
made for me," which means (to speak seriously) all things are adapted and adjusted to the ends for which
they were created.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Fileati.

Plate LXXV.

AGARICUS Y.\]O^M.\]^, Berkeley, MSS.

Sweet-scented Agaric.
Series Leucosportjs. Sub-geuus Pleuropus.^

Sub-div. * * Veil none. Pileus caruose. Gills decurrent.

Spec. Char. A. euosmus. Imbricated, confluent, pileus often sub-dimidiate, depressed in the centre, (not
deeply umbilicate,) margin involute ; in youth waxy white or pale brown, gi-owing darker to clear umber bro\vn, (not
cinereous,) soft and clammy when moist, shining and satiny when dry, (not fibriUose, not squamulose.) Gills
extremely decui'rent, broadly and abruptly ventricose towards the stem, nan'owing gradually towards the front ;
extremely close at the margin of the pileus, but divided behind into sets, a few of the main gills running far down the
stem, " standing out sharp and erect like the fine flutings of a column," connected by veins, " often anastomosing
at the base so as to form rhomboidal reticulations ; " pallid dusky white, not pm-e white, theii* edges tm-ning
yellowish brown when bruised ; not serrated but occasionally deeply notched. Spores pale lilac-rose ; flesh of the
pileus pure white, easily splitting longitudinally, thin towards the margin, extremely firm, not changing colour
beneath the epidermis, not soon decaying. Stem variable in length, the whole mass of Agarics confluent in general,
next the wood, developed only in front, so that a section resembles a main stem branched, as in P. intyhaceua.
When the Agaric grows near the top of a stump, and the pileus has room to expand, it becomes quite regular in
shape, with the stem central. Scent strong and agreeable like Tarragon, Artenmia dracuiicidus not farinaceous.
Not esculent.

Hab. On a post of unbarked elm ; growing from between the bark and tlic wood diu'ing two successive seasons.
In spring, not in autumn. Hayes, Kent.

This Agaric when first found was mistaken for A. odreatus, which has been known since the time of
Clusius, as an excellent article of food ; cursory examination led us afterwards to consider it a variety of
the common species, the externally apparent points of difference being these : — it appeared in spring,
whereas A. ostreatiis is an autumnal fungus; it had no farinaceous smell, but a peculiar scent of its own;
and if innoxious, it most certainly was not " good to eat." Besides all these discrepances, at once appreciable,
but wliich were not sufficient to characterize it as a species apart, when the spores ripened it was dis-
covered, that they were not pure white, as they should have been if it were only a variety of A. ostreatns ;
but "rose tendre" according to one excellent judge, "pale-lilae" according to another; a combination of

' From nXfvpa, a side, and nois, afoot. Pileus unequal, exceutric, or lateral. Stem when present solid and
firm. Gills unequal, juiceless, unchangeable, acute behind. Growing on trees or wood.

both these tints, in fact, is near the truth ; we, speaking femininely, should call the colour " French white,"
and by this title any lady can point out the precise hue. The fact of the coloured spores decided the question ;
it is a new Agaric, and from its agreeable smell, like that of the herb known as Tarragon {Artemisia
(Iracunadus), Mr. Berkeley has named it " Euosmus" or sweet-scented. This history proves the value of the
colour of the spores, as an infallible test ; it w-as not attended to formerly, and therefore, although as Fries
says A. ostreatus may have been painted a hundred times, it by no means foUows that a genuine specimen
sat for the portrait. Vittadiui, although writing professedly on Esculent Funguses, has made a confusion
in his account of A. ostreatus ; he says the spores are " bianco-porporino," but that applies only to our
A. euosmus; this ItaUan author had doubtless often eaten the true ostreatus, (wliich he praises liighly,)
without noticing the spores, afterwards observing an analogous specimen with lilac spores, he set that down
as a characteristic of A. ostreatus, instead of a distinction from it, which it is. This is not the only error
committed by Vittadiui, whose book is beautiful, but not exact. No one is Ukely to be poisoned by
A. 7nelleus, which he recommends as eatable, because — it would be impossible to eat it : some have tried,
and it is clear there is a great mistake. Probably the " Giallo buono" is A. caudicinus of Trattinick, a
very good article for the table, greatly resembling a refined growth of A. melleus, before it bursts the veil,
but easily distinguishable afterwards, for the non-esculent fungus has white spores, and A. caudicinn-s
ferruginous ones. Having eaten the vulgar " Giallo buono," then, Vittadiui must afterwards as he sup-
posed, have recognised and depicted it — but his drawing is A. inelleus, Tetes de Meduse, a most offensive,
and, selon Mons. Paulet, most poisonous species.

This is mentioned not from any love of finding fault, but where esculent funguses are in question it
becomes a duty to warn against authority which cannot be depended upon. We could not eat A. euosmus
when cooked, therefore if it be unwholesome had a narrow escape, for instead of considering the lilac spores
as a verdict against it, on the strength of Vittadini''s recommendation, and that very hue being a decided
identification with his plant — we had it cooked ; at that time we had faith in him, making frequent allowances
of "climate," and "soil," and other particulars which possibly caused a diff'erence between Italian and
EngKsh Funguses ; we can only say now, happily unwholesome Funguses are generally revolting, or
Signor VittacUni would have had to answer for serious mischief to his simple pupils.

To return to Agaricus euosmus, it is possible it might be very good pickled, its consistency being
tougher than is agreeable in a stew.

The species of Artemisia called dracunculus, and known by the vulgar name Tarragon, is doubtless
familiar to all our readers who possess " a garden for herbs ; " if not, we counsel them to give it a place,
under a south wall ; when the spring shoots are in full vigour, cram them fresh gathered into wine-
bottles ; putting in as much of the herb as possible ; add to each bottle a tablespoonful of salt, and fill up
with vinegar. This is an elegant adjunct to salad, &c., and mixed with the ketchup we have given a
recipe for, makes the basis of excellent table sauce.

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Plate LXXVI.

AGARICUS ARVENSIS, .sv-/../.,-.

Var. EXQUISITUS, Vittadini.

Horse Mushroom.

Series Pratella.' Sub-genus Psaliota.^

spec. Char. Agaricus arvensis, var. ExauisiTUS. Pileus from fom- to ten inches broad, white, turning
yellow only where bruised ; at first convex, obtuse, {not conico-campanulate,') slightly lobed, at length plane ; finn ,
thick, fleshy, floccoso-farinose, then smooth, polished, retaining the impression of the finger like kid leather. Flesh
compact but brittle, {not tough and corky^ pure white, {not vinous,) tiu'ning yellow only on the application of salt ;
juice not yellow. Gills very close, nearly equal, attenuated at both ends, free, leaving at maturity a space round
the top of the stem ; at first paUid, then pinkish grey, not darkening in middle age, but at length becoming brown,
nearly black ; dry, not deliquescing even when the flesh of the pileus is greatly injured by insects. Spores rich dark
brown, not purple black. Stem from two to five inches high, thickened at the base when young only, afterwards nearly
equal, smooth, shining, when bruised yellow, especially below, where it is not clothed with foccose scales, from an inch
to an inch and a half thick, at first appearing solid, but really stuffed with fibrous tissue ; in age irregularly hollow,
not fistulose, never bulbous, never laterally inclined. Ring duplicate, having the exterior portion split into
floccose radii ; afterwards reflected over the stem, tumid, persistent till the full maturity of the Agaric, and always
leanng traces on the stem ; attached to the margin of the pileus by the fragile inner veil only, so that on breaking
away, it leaves no fragments behind. Scent strong, agreeable, with some resemblance to bitter almonds. Esculent.
Excellent, making the finest ketchup.
Agaricus arvensis, Schrrffer, Fries, Berkeley, (5ISS.)

exquisitus, Vittadini.

Georgii, Sowerhy, English Flora, not of Withering.

Hah. In pastures, generally forming large rings near trees; habit of A. campestris, not ceespitose.

Nothiiig shews more clearly how wrong it is to bandy " bad names/' than an instance like the present,
wherein the unoffending innocence of au Agaric has been carelessly slandered, and the slander handed on
from authority to authority, acquiring of course by the accumulation of adverse verdicts, an extremely bad
reputation. " Effacing " and " erasing " are difficult tasks ; things never look quite fair after the operation ;
and so loth are mankind to remove a stigma, that when Vittadini designated the Horse Muslu-oom Exqui-
situs, we — we take shame to ourselves when recollecting the delicate dishes and admirable ketchup we have
since concocted — we said, "The Horse Mushroom must undergo some change in the climate of Italy."
But we studied the subject patiently, and then found that there were serious differences (although not
enough perhaps to establish distinct species) between one Horse Musliroom and another, and as all the

' From Traimn, pasture ground. Veil not arachnoid. GiUs changing colour, clouded, at length dissolving.
Spores deep brown or sometimes nearly black.

2 From -^akiov, a ring or collar. Veil forming a ring, subpersistent, really partial. Stem firm, subequal,
distinct from the pileus. PDeus more or less flesh}', convex, then campanulato-expanded, viscid or clothed with
squamules or fibrillae. GiUs fixed or free, becoming brown. In some species there are rudiments of a universal veil.

descriptions given are general, including every state of A. arvemis, they fail in pointing out a particular
state with the required precision; we have, therefore, selected in our "specific character" those points
only wliich reaUy belong to A. arvensis, var. exquisitits, contrasting them with others appertaining to
different individuals nearly allied. This esculent and excellent Agaric then wliich we have now figured,
and consider to be identical with the true " Horse Mushroom," grows in rings or is otherwise gregarious in
pastures, in the same situations as the Common Mushroom, and having greatly the habit and appearance of
it ; but it is taller, larger altogether, much less friable, splitting easily longitudinally, but not transversely ;
the gills are paler, greyish, not rich pink.

The principal points of difference between this and the tufted varieties of Arvensis, are, in the first
place, that it is never tufted, or confluent at the base; the stem is therefore never lateral, but erect, smooth,
and nearly equal at full growth ; for although in its earliest stage the base is often wider than the pUens,
this disproportion is lost as it grows ; the stem becomes hollow with age, being at first only stuffed, but
the internal groove is not a regular channel. The texture of pileus and stem is fleshy and brittle, not
tough, corky, and woody. The pileus is never entirely yellow, merely changing to that hue, in spots and
scratches ; it is also never scaly. The gQls are in no stage red, or even pink, but pale flesh-coloured
with a lilac tinge, afterwards darkened by the ripe spores.

A form of this A. exquisitus is found in shrubberies, or close to the stems of trees in fields, which is
very hard, compact and slow of growth, turning rapidly yellow ; it has a small conical, lobed pileus, wliich
never expands fairly ; this kind is good for nothing, is perhaps dangerous, certainly indigestible, and being
nearly juiceless, not fit for ketchup. No one, however, should eat the genuine Exquisitm in the button
state, be the digestive organs in ever so good tone ; select it from a pure open pasture, in a season when
growth is extremely rapid, the texture then being less compact, at the age when the veil is just breaking
away ; under these circumstances it is excellent either broiled or stewed ; in matiirer age we only recom-
mend it for ketchup. Never eat the substance of a flap containing larvae ; neglect of this caution is the
reason why even genuine Mushrooms make people iU — incipieut putrefaction is not wholesome in meat or
fish ; then why call one article of food poisonous because it disagrees with the stomach, when eaten in a
state you condemn in another instantly.

A gorgeous variety of A. arvensis we shall notice separately ; another kind resembhng that perfectly in
anatomy, but every way smaller, is known as the " Hedge Mushroom ; " neither of these ever grow in rings
in open fields, but always tufted on banks and similar situations. In ketchup both are innoxious, but the
Hedge Mushroom, eaten in substance, produces violent sickness, and cases adverse to the wholesomeness
of Muslirooms may generally be traced to this species. It never has the .slightest tinge of yellow ; the
epidermis is covered regularly with small brown scales ; and the gills are deep red of a lui-id chalky hue, not
rose-red; the stem is so hoUow as to be very characteristic, and splits into fibres longitudinaUy ; this
Agaric has no juice. Another much like it, and in anatomy agreeing with Arvensis not Canvpestris, turns a
brilliant scarlet red, or bleeds, as it were, when cut or broken : this is considered by country collectors the
" kuig of mushrooms," but is not common.

And now, gentle reader, call these Horse Mushrooms if you please, for so they are ; but be so kind as to
forget that Sowerby ever committed the mistake of using the name Georgii for them ; that is the Prunulus
of Italy, which does appear about St. George's day, (2-3rd of April, old style,) whereas this seldom is found
before July.

These different varieties are at present to be considered under the head A. arvensis (Field Mushroom),
of Schoeffer and Fries, the form depicted to accompany tliis account being A. exquisitus, Vittadini, anglice,
white caps, or Boule de Neige of our Gallic neighbours, always dark beneath in age; whereas the true
Georgii is permanently white.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileafi.

Plate LXXVII.

AGARICUS ARVENSIS, sck.ffcr,....

Bcaik Horse-Mushroom.
Series Pratella. Sub-genus Psaliota.

&pec. Char. A. arvensis, var. Pilous from eight to fourteen inches broad {not iv/uie),tavfuy yellow, with rich
brown closely adpressed, concentric scales ; at first nearly hemispherical, but flattened at the apex, regular, scarcely
lobed, at length plane. Flesh moderately thick, not juicy, tough, in the centre nearly corky, white, with a yellow
brown (not reddish) tinge near the insertion of the stem ; turning yellow on the application of salt. Gills numerous,
broader than in ^. exquisitus and less attenuated in fi'ont, free but much nearer to tlie stem than in that variety ;
at first nearly white, then pallid-red without the grey tint of the other, at length rich purple-brown ; dry, not deli-
quescing till old age. Spores the same brown shade as those of E.vqnmtus. Stem fi-om four to eight inches or
more high, firm, rigid, almost woody, the interior distinctly channelled, partiaUy stidfed with shining fibres (fluccoso-
medullate), not so thick in proportion as that of A. exquisitus, not equal, attenuated upwards, more or less bulbous,
always laterally inclined, owing to the tufted mode of growth ; more or less brown, smooth above, or striate in age,
the bulb also becomes smooth, but in youth is clothed, or rather hosed, with flocculose portions of the outer veil.
Ring not so thick and ample, much more fugacious than in A. exquisitus. It has a slight smell of bitter almonds,
but no strong scent of any kind ; in flavour it resembles A. campestris. It yields very little, but veiy rich ketchup.
A. AKVENSis, var., Schaffer, Fries, Berh. MSS.
A. Geoegii, English Flora, Sowerby, {not JFith.)

Hah. Under trees ; on banks near water, always more or less tufted, never in rings.

We have little to say of this shewy species of A. arvensis, beyond what we have abeady given in its
"specific character." It can scarcely be mistaken for an Agaric of any other kind; the juice it yields is
particularly rich and agreeable. Our e.xperience satisfies us, that not only are healtluly grown members of
the arvensis iamilj "good for ketchup, " but better than any other, unless A. procerus be the exception.
In 1848, owing probably to the wetness of the season, the common Mushroom, A. campestris, failed entirely.
In Covent-Garden Market, which generally offers every thing comestible that can be had at aU, true
Mushrooms were unattainable ; this deficiency was not felt by the unprejudiced who knew the virtues of a
" Horse Mushroom,," for all the varieties of A. arvensis were super-abundant.

We now propose to instruct our friends in the art of making ketchup, premising that we never use
individuals grown on or near dunghills, nor the hard juiceless unexpanding ones, dwarfed under shrubs
and in similar confined sites, but pure, sound specimens flourishing in " pleasant places." All kinds of
Agaric of which it is proposed to make use, should be sound ; decaying larvee-eaten flaps are ignorantly
preferred ; bvit if the flavour be stronger, it is of a coarse rank strength, and the smell soon becomes dis-
agreeable ; in fact there is a tendency to putrescence in such Agarics.

Cut off the steins, for tliey possess no flavour and aS'ord little juice, but much dirt ; if the caps are
soiled, peel them ; do not cut but break them small ; powder every portion with salt, and set the mass
in an earthen colander, placed in a bowl. The precise quantity of salt is not of importance, excess is better
than defect, it being only needful iu cookery to remember that salt is not to be used, when ketchup is.

After twenty-four hours, jiress the pulp gently down iu the colander, all the liquor that thus runs off
is to be preserved and no more ; for if you choose to squeeze the rest of the moisture out, although it may be
used for any immediate purpose, it is not worth sa\dug. It is a usual complaint, that there is so much fecu-
lence to get rid of in ketchup : this is owing to the mass of salted pulp being left too long before it is
strained ; so that the very flesh of the Agaric is melted down into the liquid, instead of its consisting merely
of juices extracted from the solid parts. By this maceration there is a gain in bulk, but it is a deceptive
gain as to value ; the feculence is flavoui'less, causing fermentation ; and pouring off and rebottling is in-
jurious : it is much better to avoid the ketchup ever containing tliis sediment.

The liquor extracted as above, wUl be a pure fragrant delicious ketchup ; but every-body would boil
this tin the aroma had disappeared, under an erroneous notion of " making it fit to keep." Tliis end the
boibng by no means conduces to, and almost all Agarics loose their " bouquet " by the continued action of
heat. But how then shall we keep the ketchup ? A great deal better ! " probatum est," and now to divulge
the secret. Before the ketchup season comes, procure a quart of spirits of Wine in a glass-stoppered bottle ;
put into tliis any spices you prefer, in sufficient quantity to flavour the spirit strongly. After the ketchup
has been strained off, let it settle twelve hours ; then put it in half pint bottles, fill them up to the shoulder,
add the spiced spirit to fill the neck, and cork the bottles tightly and steadily ; they must not afterwards be
shaken, because the spirit should be left floating at the top to exclude the air, .and prevent the formation of
that other incipient fungus, which cooks call " mother." Wlien to be used, shake the bottle thorouglily
and put as much of the contents as you Kke into the waiting soup or gravy ; it should not be boiled up iu it.
The small quantity of spiiit is unappreciable in the bulk of ketchup, not affecting the flavour at all. All
who try this plan fairly wUl acknowledge they never tasted ketchup before.

The various Agarics fit for this excellent condiment, we place in the order in wloich they stand in our
estimation.

A. procerus.

A. arvensis, var. exquisitus, Ring Horse Mushroom, and var. Bank Mushroom.

A. campestris, and other varieties.

A. Georgii, the Prunulus.

A. Oreades, the Chamjaignon ; this latter forms an excellent ingredient for table sauce, but is too power-
ful for ordinary ketchup ; like garlic it is not an article to take liberties with, the flavour is so very potent.

f

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,3

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXVIII.

AGARICUS ORCELLUS, 5.//.«../

The Orcella.

Series Hyporhodeus.'

Sub-genus Clitopilus.^ Sub-division Orcelli, {Fries).

Spec. Char. A. orcellus. Pileus from one inch to four inches across ; fleshy, brittle, soft, silky, moist, sub-
viscid in wet weather, whitish or pallid greyish-buff; irregular, generally excentric, more or less lobed and waved,
not zoned, not hygrophanous ; margin broadly involute, never fully expanded, crenulated, tomentose. GUIs extremely
decuiTent, intermixed with shorter ones ; very close towards the margin of the pileus ; at first pallid, then red-flesh
or salmon colour from the spores. Spores a pale chalky shade of vermillion. Stem not exceeding a quarter of an
inch thick, solid, short, flocculose, thickened upwards, diflFused into the pileus. Odour, of fresh meal and cucumbers.
Esculent. Excellent.

Agakicds orceUus, BulUard, Fries, Vittadini, Eromiholz,
paUidus, Sowerhy.

Hah. In ancient woodlands, growing in riags or irregular lines, the plants at sonie distance from each other ;
never csespitose. From July to October.

This most delicately delicious of Agarics certainly merits careful discrimination, so that no one
iindingj shall fail to recognise it. Eaten from early times under names wliich jjoint out its peculiar shape,
resembling an ear, the " Orgella " of Italy, the " Oreillete " of France, although according to Pavdet " tres
recherchee " there, was never identified as a common English species, till Dr. Badham, who had frequently
met with it abroad, found his old friend, neglected and despised in England, as one of that dreaded family,
the Toadstools.

It has been no easy task to disentangle the web of erroneous synonymes and misapphed characteristics,
woven around A. orcellus, which has become of doubtful reputation, from being thus involved in doubt, by
the fault of others, not its own ; for no Agaric is more true to its type, more unfailingly recognisable, when
once we have formed its acquaintance. One point wiU separate A. orcellus at once from several rivals — the
colour of its spores ; these place it under the genus Hyporhodeus, Mycologists having agreed to call their
hue rose-colour ; so long as we know what they mean, a disquisition on the propriety of the designation
may seem superfluous ; but there are tyros to whom it may save a puzzle to say, that if light-red be diluted
with sufficient constant-white, Mycological rose-colour will be attained ; it is, in fact, salmon-colour. The
general habit and configuration of the whole fungus resembles Cantharellus cibarius, but it is less robust, and
more expanded. Our Orcella is undoubtedly Agaricus pallidus of Sowerby, who found it in Hainhault
Forest " with a strong mealy smell, the gills producing a pink powder." It is not Agaricus primulus of
Fries, although very near it ; that has much narrower gills, a stem twice as thick, gills not so decurrent ;

' From iiTTo, a diminutive, and poSeos, rose-coloured. Spores pale rose-coloured (by courtesy), really a pale
chalky red without any mixtiu'e of carmine.

2 From kXItos, a declivity, and nCKos, a cap. Stem tolerably firm, subequal, distinct from the pileus. Pileus
fleshy, campanulate or convex, then somewhat plane, dry, regular. GiUs unequal, changing colour.

and is a more compact Agaric in shape, never excentric nor waved ; the smell is of meal, but not so fragrant
as that of Orcella ; the two species grow in similar situations, at the same season; whether A.pruimlus be
noxious we cannot say, it is not so agreeable as its relative, nor of so digestible a texture ; probably no
meal-scented Agaric is injurious. We are inclined to think that smeU of new flour, so unpleasant to EngHsh
noses till they are educated to appreciate better, is rightly considered by the Italians as a test of esculent
virtue. Be this as it may, between these two pink-spored Agarics, the distinctions given will suffice, par-
ticular attention being paid to the taller, more robust stem of A. prmmlus, A. orcellns having scarcely any.
The Primulus of Fries is very improperly intitled so, but the names Prunulus and Mouceron we shall
consider when we describe A. Georgii ; the rightful possessor of both these vernacular designations, one
being Italian, the other French. Agariciis opacus of Sowerby is our A. dealhatus, which we formerly
described particularly, to distinguish it from the Champignon {A. oreades). It seems, however, that
mistake is much more hkely to occur in the case of Orcella, and therefore it is better to point out the
characters which wiU prevent it.

In Dr. Badliam's work on Esculent funguses, a drawing of A. dealbatus was by mistake substituted
for the true Orcella, and though as much of the character of that Agaric, was afterwards given as mere
colour was capable of, the outKne remains incorrect being that of Dealhatus. It is necessary to mention
tliis as it might mislead.

Although the substance is tender and friable, there is no Agaric so free from the ravages of insects
as this — why it is difficult to discover, for neither a bitter principle nor a burning one, deters the hungry
larvae from making a meal of others, it cannot be the farinaceous flavour, because A. Georgii is devoured as
soon as mature.

Agarictts orcellns seems to be scarce in Germany, and is decidedly not common in England. In the
more southern districts of Europe where it abounds, it is deservedly celebrated, being perfectly digestible,
and when tossed up in white sauce, the experienced epicure might rejoice in this substitute for oysters,
enjo)ing so pleasant an addition to boiled sole, long before oyster season.

A. OECELLUS.

Pdeus tomentose at the margin ; margin roUed
broadly in, never quite expanded, crenulated,
greyish-white, not shining, bent and banded down
by the grass.

Stem short, excentric, solid, breaking short, it
cannot be easily cut owing to its friable texture.

Gills not taking an umber tinge where bruised,
nor the cap, wliich is not easily blemished.

Spores pink.

SmeU, of cucumber and new flour.
Whole plant so extremely brittle that it is scarcely
possible to extricate it from the grass entire.
Not water-soaked, nor zoned.

In rings, but the plants several inches asunder,
never caespitose.

A. DEALBATOS.'

PUeus glairy, zoned, narrowly rolled in, not
crenulated, afterwards completely expanded ; shining
white when dry, grey when water-soaked, standing
free among the grass, tall and slender.

Stem tall, shght, stuffed, the walls tough and
rigid, the outer coat peeHng ofi" like bark ; stuffing
carried down by the knife.

Gills turning pale yeUow-umber when bruised,
as also the cap, wliich retains every print of the
finger.

Spores white.

Smell fungoid and disagreeable.

"Wliole plant becoming leathery and corrugated
when dry.

Water-soaked in zones, and retaining the ridgy
appearance when dry again.

Growing in rings, often succeeding A. oreades ;
tiled and cffispitose.

' For the portrait of A. dealhatus, vide Plate XXXIX. ; there is a more repaiid variety than there depicted.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXIX.

AGARICUS GIGANTEUS, ^c/../.r.

Giant Agaric.

Series Leucosporus.
Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Dasyphylli.^

Spec. Char. Agakicus Giganteus. Pileus from fom- to fourteen inches broad, fleshy, often splitting at the
margin, broadly infundibuliform, the disc always turned down ; in old plants the margin curiously waved in scallops ;
the base of the funnel sunk into the stem, with no traces of an umbo ; white with an ochraceous tinge, sometimes
guttata, afterwards pitted, not viscid, smooth, but the whole surface under a lens covered with a fine matted
silkiness, pubescent at the margin ; margin marked with shallow grooves. GiUs decurrent, extremely close, forked,
yellow- white, as broad as the flesh of the pileus. Stem from two to four inches high, from one to two inches thick
at the base, sub-bulbous, sometimes obese and slightly attenuated upwards, firm, fleshy, hard, quite solid, minutely
pubescent, at first white, then yellowish or pale umber where bruised or handled, never 7-ufescent. Boot covered
with white down. Scent slight but agreeable ; esculent.
Agaricus Giganteus, Sowerhy, Fries, {in Epicrisis not Eleiiclms,) Berkeley.

Hah. In sunny woodlands, gregarious in vast rings from fifteen to twenty yards in diameter. Bare. September
and October.

Fries appears uot to have seen tliis Agaric till the year 1834, when it appeared abundantly near
Upsal, and he concludes his notice with the remark that it differs greatly, is " diversissimus," from aU the
other species of his section InfundtbuUformes. In October, 1848, an immense ring of A. giganteus
appeared near Hayes. The members composing it varied much in stature and developement ; they were
not placed at distinct intervals, as is the case with A. pileolarius, but grouped close together, one or more
of humble proportions sheltered beneath the brotherly screen of the giants of the family.

The " sunny woodland," wliich Pries assigns as the habitat of his Swedish friends, was selected exactly
by their English relatives. There is an abrupt slope from the table-land of Keston and Hayes Common,
facing nearly south, but towards the eastern extremity, curving round into the War-mount or Black Ness,
■which checks the sweepiog action of winds from that quarter. Tliis slope is covered with scrubby under-
wood, but the alluvial soil of the valley it shelters is too good to be thus devoted, and the plough is carried
as high as it can go. Happily for Mycologists, there is an irregular rough slip of sward which defies
cultivation, for the scythe is bafiled as well as the share. We — happy we ! untroubled by the cares
inherited with paternal acres, we fancy the whole country ours, and take at least as much interest in some
portions of it as the owners do — we would not give that rude slip of virgin soil for all the agricultural

' From Sacriif, close, and cpiXKov, a leaf, in allusion to the closeness of the gills. Pileus dry, smooth. Gills
decurrent or acutely adnate.

glories of the valley ! We admire no lurneps — vve count no sheep — we do not care whether it be wheat
or bai'ley which sprouts in tender green blades between the sheltering flints — we are looking for Morels,
and watching the great green rings where we expect, by and bye, to collect bushels of A. Georgii ! Or it
is autumn, and the grain is garnered ; stubble is unpleasant to ladies' ancles, and its ragged edges skirting
our grassy balk, catch and finish " the last flounce of summer," but who can be troubled with such petty
cares ? — not we. The partridge loves that slope as well as we do, and startles us with a sudden wliir-r-r-r.
The pheasant stealthily creeps into covert, his ghstening long tail shining among the dark Scotch firs ; he
scorns to hasten his walk into a run, for he knows we are not enemies — he fears a gun, but Mycologists,
though armed with knives of awful dimensions, \iith trowels and wrenching tools, are not meditating
injury to any living tiling ; and well-filled baskets contain the results of harmless, painless sport.

Many a day through the showery summer and early autumn, we sought and found treasures in-
numerable, several new to EngUsh seekers — but at last we grew weary of great Infundibuliform Agarics of
the Class Lactarius, which met the eye in every direction and were almost the only things left ; till one
day a starthng sight presented itself — an immense ring, apparently of some of that family, which do not in
general affect such a mode of growth. It proved to be a species, the smaller members of wliich exactly
possessed the configuration of A. Listen (the A.piperatus of the Flora Vol.). There were the gUls, "fine
like the teeth of an ivory comb," the broadly inroUed flisc, the stout firm texture, the same hue — we were
obliged to taste in order to decide, and finding it neither milky nor acrid, knew that it must be that rare
and esculent Agaric — A. giganteus ; rightly named, for the specimen we have portrayed is rather smaller
than nature ; it held three-quarters of a pint !

Of the other Agarics with which our present subject can be confounded — A. nellereus is milky and
hot, like A. Listen. A. exsuccus has no milk, but has distant crisp gills which are either wlute (not
yellowish) or tinged in age with verdigris. A. infundibidiformis, proper, is a delicate wine-glass shaped
Agaric, with a reddish buff pUeus and pale cream-coloured or whitish gills ; it is seldom more than
two inches broad, and is very fragile and tender, particularly elegant and totally unlike A. giganteus ;
there is one large Agaric, however, growing in rings (which has sometimes been supposed a variety of
A. Infundibuliformis) this is A. pileolarius wliich we have given before ; and yet another with a waved
irregular pileus, nearly akin to the last but with an unpleasant smell, and coarser in all its proportions,
this is A. maximus of Fries — both these are more uniformly buff in hue, and have reddish stems ; our
■present subject has no red about it whatever, and its colour is dull, or in fading, dingy white with yellowish
stains on the stem, the gills partake of the shade formed from yeUow ochre, not flesh or nankeen colour.

It is perfectly sweet and very agreeable, but the scent is sometimes scarcely perceptible. It may be
eaten with perfect safety in any manner the gastronome prefers — young specimens being selected.

3^

CO

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXX.

AGARICUS PUDENS, Per

soon.

Series Leucosporus.

Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Rhizopodes.

Spec. Char. A. pudens. Pileus from an inch to three inches broad, umbonate, conico-convex, never
expanding so as to become plane ; fleshy, tough, eListic, wi-inkled, dry, villous-velvety, pale umber or tawny-gTey.
Flesh wliite. GUIs rather distant, free, broad, thick, rigid, opake creamy-white. Stem often eighteen inches in
length, but only about four inches of it appearing above ground ; half an. inch thick near the surface of the soil,
gradually attenuated upwards and downwards, continuing nearly equal (about a quarter of an inch in diameter)
below ; not fusiform ; small, solid, much twisted, rigid vQlous, rich tawny-brown. Scentless, insipid.
Agaricus pudens, Persoon, Berkeley, MSS.
longipes. Fries, BidUard.

Hab. On the borders of woods, not common. September.

The difficulty of extracting so deeply rooting a plant has led to ambiguity in the usual descriptions of
it. The commoner radicatus, which has a smooth, viscid, ultimately plane pileus, a long glassy piped
stem above ground, and a distinct fusiform root below, is confounded by both Eelhan and Withering, with
this, the longij)es of Bulliard and Fries, having a perfectly dry pileus, resembling chamois leather, and a
stem covered with stiff velvety pubescence, running down to an immense length below the soil, but not
fusiform, being nearly equal throughout, merely swollen just where it leaves the earth.

Had our present subject grown far away in some forest haunt, we should never have ascertained its
true mode of growth, but have given up in despair after our tools had done as much as tliey are capable of;
but it was fortunately discovered near home, and a stout laboui'er with pick and spade, worked two feet
deep, tlirough a bed of the closest virgin gravel, to lay bare the point from which it started ; this point was
the living root of an oak ; two younger Agarics also proceeded from the same base as the mature one, which
had made its way up to the day, the fresh air and the pleasant showers. "We read with wonder of the
solitary prisoner boring through the stones and mortar of liis cell with some old knife blade or rusty nail,
but that the soft substance of an Agaric should thus have been able to pierce through the dense stratum of
gravel is much more wonderful. If we examine the younger plant we shall see that the most important
organ, the head, is not endangered in the operation, but is sunk down on the breast, protected by the
upraised shoulders which are employed to force the passage ; these are in fact part of the stem, and are
screwed upwards by the twists of the strong and woody yet elastic and yielding portion below, which can
bend aside on encountering a larger pebble than usual. The whole stem is covered by a thick strong
velvet coat to guard it from injury, and never grows so directly upwards as to form one straight piece, as
Bulliard represents it, but pursues an angular direction, then returns to the perpendicular again, and
variously accommodates itself to the difficulties it encounters.

The name " pudens " given by Persoon suits well the quaker-coloured pileus of sober unglaring texture,
relieved by gills of a heavy opake white, and the richest of brown stems ; the mixture of colour is extremely
elegant, and may place the " modest " beauty before many flaunting rivals. We have presumption enough
to deny the propriety of the terms " fusiform root " and " long-rooting " as appUed to this Agaric ; " deep-
rooting " it may be, but although it grows up through eighteen inches of soil, that fact does not convert the
stem into a root ; its near relative A. radicatus, No. XXXVI. of these Illustrations, has a distinct stem with
a fusiform root, and to this we refer the reader for comparison. Fries calls this stem " stuffed," Withering,
Gray, and Relhan " sohd ; " its true nature is scarcely one or the other, for although the inner substance is
solid in itself, it is much less firm than the waUs ; but these walls are apparently only an induration of the
inner substance with wliich they are homogeneous, so that we may call it " solid " wdthout being very wrong ;
it certainly never becomes hollow as the generality of stuft'ed stems do iu age. The whole plant shrinks
and contracts in drying very remarkably, considering its texture. The gills are decidedly free ; another
point of difference from A. radicatus, which has them adnate ; they are waved and rather ventricose,
retiring angularly, not rounded, from the stem behind. Paulet remarks that the velvet covering of the cap
is homogeneous with it. The thick pile which clothes the stem is harsher than in A. vehdipes.

As regards shape, the term campanulate does not apply because the margin of the pileus never expands ;
it is not however incurved, but remains nearly parallel to the stem.

ftq

o

Order Hymenojiycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXI.

BOLETUS EDULIS, Buiuard.

Esculent Boletus.

Gen. Cliar. Hymenium distinct from the substance of the pileus, consisting of cylindric separable tubes. Name
from /3(iXof, a hall, from the rounded form of many of them.

Spec. Clmr. B. edulis. Pileus hemispherical, irregular, then pulvinate, at length expanded, nearly plane ;
from sis inches to a foot across ; smooth Uke fine kid leather, in wet weather slightly viscid ; often rugose and much
cracked; fuscous, umber or nearly black, paler towards the margin. Flesh very thick, white, turning a little reddish
near the epidermis. Tubes nearly free ; at first white, then lemon-colour, then duU yellow, turning brownish olive
where bruised ; simple, their orifices at first round, then angular, while white extremely shallow, afterwards nearly
as deep as the flesh of the pileus. Spores pale gi-eenish ochi-e. Stem solid, four inches or more high, from one
inch, to two inches thick, irregularly bulbous, and sometimes monstrously incrassated at the base, covered with
minute elongated shallow reticulations, at first white, but becoming fawn-colour. Scent agreeable, not strong.
Flavour extremely sweet. Esculent. Most exceEent.
Boletus edulis, BulUard, Fries, Berkeley, Persoon.

Hab. In woods and plantations, particularly under oaks. Summer and autumn.

Boletus edulis often grows in sucli irregular, either unduly developed or unduly aborted, forms, that
no species can be more variable. Happily for the gourmand, however unlike it may be to itself, it is still
less like anj'thing else, so mistake is not probable, if once the fungus has been studied. To depict all the
appearances it puts on would require a dozen plates, we have therefore selected two individuals as true to
their proper specific character as could be found.

Weather and site of course affect the growth of aU plants, Phenogamous as well as Cryptogamic.
Under flourishing young oaks, the foliage of which kept off rain, while their roots impoverished the ground,
and there was no depth of superficial decayed vegetable matter to feed B. edulis, we constantly found a very
hard compact hemispherical variety, the centre of its pileus being black with a cinereous bloom, becoming
gradually umber and rich fuscous yellow towards the margin, the reticulations on the stem being orange-
brown also ; tills stem was short and regularly bulbous. The cap never expanded properly owing to defect
of nutriment, and it became 'the prey of insects before the spores had coloured the tubes.

In complete contrast to this form, after the thunder-storms in the summer of 1847, there grew, in
rich peaty soil where fallen leaves had accumulated and decayed for a thousand years under the ancient
oaks, enormous specimens of B. edulis ; on one particular ridge of our favourite slope, looking up from the
bottom through the obscure shade, a whole row loomed dimly in rude proportion like so many Cromlechs,
the memorials of an extinct race of gigantic Fairy Druids. However exaggerated this statement may seem,
a specimen fairly selected measured thirty-seven inches in circumference, and eight inches and a half round
the most slender part of the stem ; a more fitting " stool " for a cliild than for a toad. AU these monsters
were much more paUid in hue than the smaller ones, perhaps fi'om the absence of sunshine. They attained

maturity with extreme rapidity : a few days before nothing of the kind was visible on the spot ; as might be
expected they were surcharged with moisture, insipid and soft when cooked, and by no means good.
Between these over-soaked rain-swollen sponges, and the solid indurated balls we first described the
gradations are infinite, and among them may be selected most delicious subjects for the cook's skill. As some
guide to the novice we advise, that no flabby Boletus should be used for the table, and of course on aged
individual. Before the tubes change from white to lemon-colour, the flesh is too close, as, after the tubes
are fully expanded and the spores ripened, the flesh is too soft, for perfection ; between these stages, with
the tubes turned delicate pale yellow, and the reticulations on the stem fawn-colour, a large free-grown
solid Boletus, such as we have represented, is super-excellent, among esculent funguses.

These reticulations upon the stem seem to be the impressions made in its substance by the pores
being pressed against it while it is nearly enclosed in the cap, afterwards the growth of the stem enlarges
and lengthens the depressions, and exposure to the air turns them brown ; they are always, however, very
shallow. This is one point of difference from Boletus felleus, which has a white stem reticulated in a very
similar manner with brown, but the meshes are so strongly raised, as to form deep cells between them.
This dangerous B. felleus has also wliite pores at first, and a soft brown cap resembling much a young
B. edulis j but cannot be mistaken for it, because the spores ultimately change the tubes to pink, and it is
very bitter; we found it often in 1848, but it is not common in general.

Boletus edulis has pure white unchangeable flesh, no part of the plant turns blue in the slightest
degree when cut or broken : this fact distinguishes it from a great number of the tribe, particularly from all
the varieties of B. luridus.

Boletus scaier has white, then clay-coloured or dirty-white pores ; no yellow however enters into the
colouring of any part of that fungus ; wliile no red is mixed with the tints of B. edulis, (unless we call a
vinous tinge beneath the epidermis so). Shades of umber of various degrees of intensity and warmth, from
cinereous black to rich burnt Sienna, and dull yellow growing brownish-olive with age, make up the whole
range of its hues. There is no reddish-bufl' in its pileus like that of the " gilvus " capped Pachjjims — no
rich crimson on its stem like that of B. xaiithoporus ; these two in bulk approach it nearly, but have other
differences from it besides the sufficient ones we point out ; they also are esculent, so mistake would not be
dangerous.

Before cooking it, the tubes of any Boletus should be scooped out with a spoon ; they are of an
unpleasant rushy texture if eaten, and flavourless. Having reduced the flesh of B. edulis to pieces of a
uniform size they may be stewed ; we prefer the " Tourtiere," in which they should be placed with a little
fresh butter, pepper, and salt, and gently baked for an hour ; closely covered.

The problem of raising funguses from seed according to the usual sense of the process, is not solved,
and deserves attention. The following is the result of experiments on B. edulis, which Mons. Roques says
is artificially produced in the Departement des Landes. Following his directions we placed a quantity of
mature Boletuses in a large watering-pot, and filled it up with rain water ; in about three weeks the mass
was in strong fermentation, with a thick frothy scimi on the top and smelHng — the most fertile imagination
camiot guess how it smelled — but there we must leave it. This fermented substance and Uquor was
deposited in various situations under oak trees, and for five years we saw no results — the sixth year was
1847, and B. edulis most abundant everywhere. On the spots where we placed the fermented ones
formerly, appeared many very small, stunted, but very good and true Boletuses — did they come there
because it was au unusually good season for them, or were they our own crop, which it had taken five years
to develope ? we cannot tell — only before that. Boletus edulis had never been found within a mile of that
spot.

TUUeZIXM.

.R«ve3eithajn i:Ei«ve.m^-

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'■■IS lersooii.

Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXII.

POLYPORUS GIGANTEUS, Persoon.

Giant Polyporus.

Gen. Char. Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consisting of sub-rotund pores, with thin
simple dissepiments.

Sjpec. Char. P. giganteus. In large tufts from one foot to four feet across, about a foot high, composed of
imbricated pileuses proceeding fi'om a common root, but not forming a compound stem as in P. intybaceus, dimidiate,
depressed behind, scarcely branched, but often confluent by lateral lobes, " connately ramose " (Fries,) fleshy, flexible,
in age, flaccid if moist, rigid if dry ; the smface irregularly zoned, rigid, rivulose ; pale ash-colour granulated with
minute brown flocci, or yellowish-buff variegated with rich red-brown ; turning grey-black where bruised, the whole
plant black in decay. Pores extremely minute, cream-white or lemon-yellow, afterwards ash-grey with a tawny
shade ; tubes at first shallow, then varying according to their position, from a line to a quarter of an inch deep.
Substance of the mature plant quite juiceless, consisting of white cotton-like fibres proceeding from the base of the
frond, each thread terminating in a tube which it brings with it when torn longitudinally. Spores pale, ochraceons.
Polyporus giganteus, Fries, Berkeley.

Boletus Persoon.

imbricatus, Sowerby.

frondosus. Withering.

Hah. On stumps of felled trees of various species. Rare. Autumn.

The group of this splendid fungus, of wliich the plate represeuts a very small portiou, was first
observed at Hayes in 1847, recurring in 1848 on the stump of an acacia, buried in the turf. The ground
colour of the plant was delicate ochraceous-yellow, and the rigid velvet pile with which the upper side of
each pileus is variegated was rich red-brown ; where the lower stem-like portions were screened by the grass,
they remained white.

On the roots of a Beech in the gardens at Stourhead in Wilts, the seat of Sir R. H. Hoare, this same
Polyporus appeared for several years successively ; the drawing made there in 1843 looks hke a totally
different thing /living specimens, however, proved the two varieties to be botanically identical;' the Wiltshire
fungus having white or pallid greyish-brown for the ground hue instead of yellow ; umber-brown varie-
gations instead of rich red tawny-brown, and the markings being in a less regularly zoned pattern. Perhaps
the wood on which it grows influences the colour ; but mere colour as we often repeat, is a fallacious
quality. In age this Polyporus is really unlike itself, as it was seen in vigorous maturity ; the minute rigid
pile of the coat becomes fibrillose, the pale yellows grow brown, the rich browns grow pale, a foxy hue

prevails ou the upper side^ while the pores have become dirty greeuish-grey, and the tubes acquired the
length of those belouging to the Boletus tribe^ the decaying laxity of the fronds renders each pileus nearly
plane, and the irregular variegations of its surface having become merged into one another, the zones have
a much more regular effect than in youth. This is the effect of fair decay ; unfair decay, that is, bruising
and wounding, turn the injured portions black of so cold a shade, that, like lamp-black mixed with white
lead which every body knows paints posts and doors blue, by contrast with the other warm tints of the
Polyporus, blue is apparently evoked, and in some otherwise good Italian dra\vings, we have seen ultramarine
stains and stripes which we may vainly look for in Nature. In this stage, although it cannot be considered
in a state of decomposition, the scent is exceedingly disagreeable.

Mr. Berkeley wrote in 1846 : " I saw a cart-load of it at the base of one tree at Kew, and most magni-
ficient it was ;" he did not however mention the species of tree. Esculent it certainly is not ; in extreme
youth when the substance might perhaps admit of mastication, the flavour is astringent and disagreeable ;
in full growth the substance when torn longitudinally, resembles the untwisted cotton called " Moravian "
from being used for embroidery by that industrious community, a very far from agreeable substance to get
entangled among the teeth. While the Polj-porous remains in situ, extracting moisture from the soil, &c.,
the progress of decay is into the flaccid state before described, but when removed in the turf and not
placed in water, it dries up into a rigid black persistent substance, like A. adustus.

The grass beneath the vigorous plant from which our portrait was taken, was loaded with the pale
ochraceous spores, so copiously scattered, that the green colour was entirely lost beneath them.

This polyporus is decidedly the same as that which, in the genuine editions of Withering is described
under the name " Frondosus," wliich is not an Enghsh species that we are at present aware of, and wliich
is nearly akin to P. intyhaceus, given in Plate VI. of these Illustrations. It would seem scarcely possible
to confound the two plants, and having depicted both, trust the task has been so faithfully performed as to
preclude error.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXIII.

AGARICUS GEORGII, clus^us.

St. George's Agaric.

Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Tricholoma.^

Sub-division Personate, (Fries.)

Section Prunuloidea. " Pileus fleshy, fragile, guttato-maculose or channelled, stem solid with no indications
of veil &c. Vernal ; generally congregated or caespitose ; particularly fragrant and aromatic when dried. The
most delicious of funguses ; celebrated among the fathers of Mycology and the common people, but wonderfully lost
sight of by recent writers ; Micheli alone has brought forward many names, and Paulet has admirably disentangled
the true species." (Fries, Epicrisis.)

Spec. Char. A. Georgii. Pileus from an inch to four inches broad, plano-convex, obtuse, irregular, more or
less lobed, often tuberculated, dry, soft like kid-leather, under a lens tomentose. Margin incurved (not involute),
seldom fully expanded, waved, minutely but decidedly tomentose. Pileus cream-white ; in the incurved poitions of
the margin and folds, where it is not exposed to the air, often of a delicate pale salmon-colour ; the summit turning
bufl" or becoming tanned, or even acquiring a scorched appearance in exposed situations ; in extreme age spotted as
if mildewed. Flesh solid, compact, very thick, white. Gills pallid cream-colour, very numerous with many shorter
ones interposed, crowded, irregular, theii- margins uneven ; often imbricated, often waved from the compression of
the pileus, extremely narrow, attenuated in front, occasionally also behind and appearing somewhat decurrent from
the diffusion of the stem into the pileus, but not truly so ; sometimes adnexed, sometimes nearly emarginate with a
smaD tooth, various forms occurring in the same Agaric ! frequently cracking from the stem. Stem white, solid, con-
sisting entirely of fibres effusing themselves into the pileus ; sometimes ca\ernous ; obese, robust, firm, irregular,
in young specimens often thickest at the base. Odour like newly ground flour, taste agi'eeable raw, scent extremely
powerful when dried. Excellent for food.
Fungus St. George, Clusius.

Divii Georgii, Bauliin.

Esculentus totus albus farinam recenter molitam redolens, Micheli.

Agaricus Georgii, Lirmav^, Fries, Berkeley MSS. (not of Sowerby.J

graveolens, Sowerhy, Withering.

Prunulus, Badhmu, Vittadini.

MoussERON St. George, Blanc, Paulet.

Hab. In dense rings ^ in old woodland sand neglected pastures about St. George's day (old style), 23rd April
Never in autumn.

' From 6p\^, a hair, and Xa>;ia, a veil. Veil partial, fibriUose or floccose, very fugacious. This is the strict
definition of Tricholoma according to the English Flora, but Fries divides this vast family into two series, the first
of which is distinguished by these characters; the second, the Personatae, have a " discrete veil seceding into pulveru-
lence" " Velimi Obsoletum." (Epicrisis.)

2 With respect to "faiiy rings" we find the following memorandum, April 12th 1848. — Agaricus Georgii on

Agaricm graveolens of Sowerby is the true A. Georgii, of which Mr. Berkeley, from iuspectiou ot the
original di'awiug, has satisfied himself ; A. graveolens of Withering is probably identical with it also, but it is
a mistake to give as a synonyme A. Grammopodius, No. 585 of Bulliard, which decidedly is not the same
subject, whatever his Mousseron No. 142 may be. Another mistake was gi\ing the name St. George's
Agaric to our EngUsh " white caps," the Horse-musliroom, A. arvemis, which does not appear so early
in the season, and has dark gills in maturity. Fries asks the reason of the name, but Clusius had no
recondite meaning, probably adopting the designation in use among the people. The fungus appears about
St. George's day ; very few Agarics are of vernal growth, and this never coming at any other season, may
well have been considered by the poor inhabitants of the districts where it abounds, craving for change of
food after hard diet all the winter, as a special gift from the benevolent saint.

Fries had only seen A. Georgii in a dried state, but his description is generally correct; he considers
it to be the Agaric of Vittadini, Plate XII, eaten in Italy as a Prumdiis, but the particulars given with the
portrait, although applpng to A. Georgii in great measure, include matters appertaining generally to
the family vulgarly called Prunulus ; for instance, the stem of Georgii is never rufescent. He gives
A. gambosus as a synonyme, which is one error, and in another place (p. 146) says "Fungus Georgii
Clusius est A. gambosus, Fries probabiliter noster A. Mouceron," which is a second, for Fries does not
confound A. Georgii with A. gambosus but places them as separate members of his section Prunuloidea.
A. gambosus is the same as A. Po«w««, Krombholz, and it diflers from Georgii in having the margin much
involute, instead of incurved. It is singular that in tlais great work published at Prague, Ki-ombhok, or
rather Corda, should take no notice of an Agaric anciently considered as the especial gift to the people of
the Hungarian districts by their guardian saint. Fries may well say these delicious funguses have been
wonderfully lost sight of.

That tastes differ is an established axiom, but still it seems strange that the peculiar scent of the delicious
Mousseron, " parfzim e.rquis, by which it betrays its locahty when hidden among the moss " (Paulet), should
be as offensive to English nostrils as the name Graveolens imports. " It is very strong and unpleasant in
its smell, so that it is not an agreeable task to go through the examination of it " (Withering), and for
ourselves — some years ago we took especial pains to root out of our lawn, fairy rings, formed by a most
odious " toadstool ;" the workmen employed complaining all the while, how offensive the spawn was ; its
white cottony fibres permeated the soil to the depth of eighteen inches, all of which was carefully carried
away ; but some seasons after, it showed itself again at another part of the turf, when Dr. Badham taking
one up, and to our great horror eating it, introduced t/ie Prunulus of Italy, the most dehcate and recherche
of Mousserons, in the guise of our old enemy. And now that the fungoid mealy scent is assured to be a
token of good instead of evil, we have lost all idea of its being disagreeable, and acquired the appreciation
of its value that our continental neighbours possessed centuries ago ; we too hail the Fungus Divii Georgii
as a grateful spring luxury. Dr. Badham was the first person to introduce the Prunulus as an esculent
English Fungus, and thereby deserves the gratitude of all lovers of such dainties. It remains to be proved
whether we have only one of the family here, or more than one. A. Georgii affords excellent flavouring for
gravv and soup, either as ketchup or in a dried state, but is not tender when stewed ; tliis is our constant
experience of the very large heavy specimens brought in from the Keston Warmount and similar pasture
localities. The whole plant is opake dull white, in age turning buff in the centre of the pileus, which is
perfectly dry and smooth, the margins only being pubescent under a lens, to the naked eye merely pulveiu-

the lawn ; tlie Agarics in the ring scalded by water applied for experiment two years ago, did not reappear till now ,
when they come up fourteen inches from the old site, so that low down the spawn was not injured, and increased
outwardlv. The reader will see further on that we now believe these rings to be A. albellus, Fries (in Epicrisis.)

lent like the bloom of fruit ; the gills are interspersed with innumerable shorter cues : even when
thoroughly water- soaked, there is no tinge of grey in the colouring.

But the little Agaric, growing on our mossy lawn, agrees, not with these particulars, but with A. albellm
of Fries precisely ; it is seldom more than one inch across, of tender friable substance ; it is not pure white
and never turns buff, but looks mottled and water-soaked even in dry weather ; " guttis squamaceis sub-
secedentibus saipe adspersus," is very grapliic, although untranslatable ; the gills are simple, the margins
involute, never fully expanded ; it is a much more delicate article for the table, than a A. Georgii, of wliich we
at first believed it to be a minor form, merging both in " the Prunulus," much as people do A. campestris
and A. arvensis in " the Mushroom ; " but we have now little doubt, that both being vernal mushrooms,
both under the head Prunuloidea, both having the same peculiar scent, they are yet not the same iti toto,
but that our plate faithfully represents A. Georgii of Clusius, wliile the small delicate species is Le vrai
Mousseron hlanc or muscat of Paulet, A. alheUus of DecandoUe and of Fries. Fries gets angry with the
synonymes, and says "Mousseron is a barbarous name wliich has created endless confusion;" it seems a
bold task to venture on ground thus anathematized, and we hope we shall not lie under the reproach of
making that " darker which was dark enough " before.

Paulet having as Fries justly says, taken infinite pains with the subject, is the best modern guide ; but
it must be premised that " Mousseron " is the commercial French name for all Agarics sold in a dried state
and as these are frequently cut into several pieces to assist desiccation, botanical skill is sadly at fault in
examining them. His first example runs thus — "The third esculent species of L'Ecluse is a spring
mushroom which he has rendered famous, and which in Germany they call the Mousseron St. George,
because it ordinarily appears about the day of that saint. It is a small white mushroom, washed with red
brown ; with a nearly orbicular pileus a httle bundling out, scarcely two inches broad," belonging to the same
family as the Mousseron blanc; it is "abundant in Hungary and Brabant," but he did not believe that it
grew in France at all ; he had never seen it. This is certainly our present subject, and A. graveolens of
Sowerby, the A. prunulns of Dr. Badham and in part the A. Mouceron of Vittadini.

Secondly. " The fourth escident species of Clusius is Le vrai Mousseron blanc " of Paulet ;" it is seldom
more than an inch lugh and the stem is of equal thickness with the bullet head. It grows in spring among
moss, and its " parfum exquis " announces its presence ; it is the most highly flavoured, delicate, and light
on the stomach of any known. This is the Mousseron blanc of Persoon's Champignons Comestibles,
A. alhellus of DecandoUe and Fries, and in part A. Mouceron of Yitt. who considers it one with its pre-
decessor.

Thii-dly. Le ilousseron Gris or d'ltalie of Paulet, a small Mousseron gris de lin fonce* the stem often
two inches high but the head never more than one ; the giUs white, prolonged upon the stem, which is
stuffed, and hoUow with age. Flesh thick, white, very delicate and wholesome, of most agreeable odour ;
sold in commerce at forty sous the pound. This is A. Mozisseron of Persoon and perhaps of Bulliard, Plate
CXLII, it is the Prugnuolo cenerino of Italy, and included in Vittadini's Mouceron ; it is probably A. gra-
veolens of Fries ; but certaiidy is not A. Mouceron of Kromhholz, Tab. 5.5, for that is Agaricus Prunulus of

' Gris de hn does not mean merely brown-holland colour "gris-de-Un." Johnson says " gray with a purple
hue, a fashionable colour of a pnrpHsh shade."

■' Of Florence sattin flowered with white and green,
And for a shade betwixt the bloomy gridelin. — Dryden.

This expression "bloomy gridelin" throws, as we fancy, some light on the origin of the name Prunulus — these
Agarics have been said to " grow under plumb trees," " to be the size of a plumb," the " colour of one," although as
some plumbs are purple, others yellow, that is not very definite ; we venture to suggest that the pnheruleitt veil
leaving a fruit like hloom on the suiface may have suggested the name, bloomy hke a plumb — Pruindus.

Fries, a totally different thing, growing with Orcella in autumn, having rose-coloured spores, and being
doubtless what is called in Italy the Autumnal Prunulus. Plate II. fig. 245, Krombohlz, are like the Italian
Cenerino, but for want of text cannot be positively determined. Owing to the same deficiency it is impos-
sible to decide satisfactorily that the AlbeUus of Sowerby is A. Georgii ; a mass of its spawn being dwarfed
and hindered in developement by some cause ; there can be Httle doubt of it however. Text without plates
may be obscure, but plates without text are worse. None of the other Mousserons belong to the Prunu-
loidea ; one of them, Mousseron Godaille or de Dieppe, is A. oreades. The Mousseron d' Annas is perhaps
A. Orcellus.

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Order Hymexomycetes. . Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXIV.

AGARICUS HETEROPHYLLUS, Fries.

ForTied gilled Agaric .

Series Leucospouus. Subgenus Russul.^:.

Section Firm^ {Fries, in Epicrisis.)

Spec. Cliar. A. heterophyllus. Pileus at first covered -nitli a strictly adnate pellicle, viscid in wet weather,
(inuch slighter in this species than in others of the section it belongs to,) disappearing in age, when the pileus
becomes perfectly dry, not shining ; of various mixed hues, partaking of mixed yellow and gi'een, pallid towards
the margin, from two to four inches broad, smooth (not virgato-ruyulose) fleshy, firm, convex (not umhilicate) then
plane, at length sub-depressed in the centre Cnot infimdibuliform) ; margin thin at first, somewhat inflexed, then
expanded, acute, slightly striate (not tuherculoso-driate) ; flesh white, (not reddish beneath the epidermis), vesicu-
lose in texture, consisting entirely of cells. GUIs white, then cream-coloured, thin, rather rigid, brittle, very close,
much forked dimidiately, anastomosing or united at the stem, adnate, attenuated behind, lanceolate in front, alto-
gether extremely narrow and nearly equal in age. Stem solid, white, firm, but cellular in texture, nearly equal,
dilated at the insertion of the gills, obtuse at the base, from one to two inches high, half an inch or more thick.
Spores white. Odoiu' none, taste mild, like pure hog's lard, never acrid ; an extremely excellent article of food.
Agakicus heterophyllus. Trki (in Epicrisii).

Hab. Li old woodland, never where the land has been cultivated, generally under oaks, on sloping gromid,
where the herbage is very poor and mossy. August to October.

The sub- genus Russula, consists of above forty members, of which only a tenth are safely esculent, the
remainder being either doubtful, or decidedly deleterious. Of the four exceptions it would be impossible
to speak too higlily, but we are sorry to say they generally keep bad company, and as so many of their
relations are decidedly to be shunned, it is necessary to be more wary in choosing a dish among them, than
in most cases of selection ; indeed, we should advise none but experienced mycologists to provide Russulas
for the table at any time, and even they wdU sometimes be obliged to taste in order to be perfectly sure ;
fortunately all the noxious individuals are more or less acrid, some of them, as Agaricus ruber, to such an
intense degree, that the smallest piece of one, raw, will not only cause its certain condemnation, but imprint
the fact in burning characters on the tongue and memory.

Not only are the Eussulas, as a class, extremely difficult to define individually, and to understand from
descriptions, but this difficulty has increased itself by causing innumerable errors in their synonymes ; thus
occasioning the characters given by one author to any particular member of the family, to be totally dis-
crepant from Agarics similarly named by another authority. In tliis confusion we think it better to
adhere to the nomenclature we have used throughout (unless in one or two cases, where the original

describer of any given fungus differed from Fries, in which case it seemed fair to restore the neime frst
given to the frst ^jlace,) and if any objections are raised, we beg they may be laid before the learned
Professor of Upsal.

Of the four esculent Russulas, two, Agaricus vescus and A. lepidus (Fries), are more or less red, and
one or other of these is meant, perhaps botli are, when authors speak vaguely of " the Russula," " Le Eousset
comestible," as good for food ; in contradistinction, " Verdette " is the name given to those in which
green prevails, A. heteropliyllus and A. virescens ; formerly considered as the same, or mere varieties, but
differing in some points looked upon now as essential to the botanical distinction of species, although not
glaring enough to be appreciable by country collectors or cooks. Of these Verdettes, one is A. virescens
of Fries, A. arugi/iosa of Krombholz, the latter an excellent name, as the hue is that of verdigris, cold and
bluish, " like that of the foliage of pinks " (Paulet), occasionally the centre, which is depressed in age,
has a russet, yellowish tinge, but the great distinction is one quite immistakeable, the epidermis of the
pileus is corrugated into toarts, leaving polygonal interstices between them, a peculiar character, belonging to
the always dry cuticle of this delicate Agaric, which altogether has strikingly the air of a waxen compo-
sition. Our present " Verdette " is at first rather viscid, entirely destitute of this warty appearance, and
yellower, with a dull tinge of lake-red minghng among the green and yellow, so as to present a livid shade ;
cowering down in the mossy grass, its white stem invisible, it looks, in the unexpanded state, very like an
apple which has not received the colouring rays of the sun. Among the non-esculent Russulas, some are
red and white, without any yellow, some yellow, white, and even orange-coloured, without any distinct
red. — With none of these can A. heterophjlhis be confounded. There is one dangerous member of the
family, A.furcatus, which is green, of various shades and brightness, but the type of the gills is different,
being adjiato-decurrent ; a simpler statement will warn the world at large sufficiently — it is hitter. This
is given by BulHard, and his figure has been mistaken for the Verdette proper — or A. virescetis, bringing
thereby that excellent Agaric into reproach.

A. heterophyllus of Dr. Badham's ' Esculent Funguses ' is the heterophyllus of Vitadini, which that
author designates heterophyllus of Fries ; since the pubhcation of his ' Funghi Mangerecei,' however, the
Epicrisis of Fries has modified in some cases, the nomenclature in liis Systema, and A. vescus and our
present subject are divided from each other — in the Italian work they are confounded. It is only needful
to state that the main difference consists in \\).& flesh of the pileus, immediately beneath the ejndermis, being
stained mth purplish red in K.. vescus — in A. heterophyllus it is pure white; both are among the most
delicate and wholesome of funguses ; a consumptive patient, scarcely able to endure food of any kind, not
relished, but digested easily, both of these species of Russula, partaking of them as often as found, during
a whole season.

The best way to cook them is to heat a frying pan, rub a little fresli butter on it, and fry them lightly
and quickly, till dry and slightly browned.

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Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXV.

AGARICUS VITTADINI, Morem.

Vittadinis Agaric.
Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Lepiota.

spec. CJiar. A. Vittadini. Pileus from four to six inches across, at first convex, then expanded, at length
plane, obtusely umbonate, squarrose, or covered \vith irregularly, pyramidal, spinous warts, united at their base ;
white, as well as the pileus ; margin smooth, acute, naked, and with no vestiges of the ring attached to it. Gills
free, ventricose, rounded in front, in-egular with many shorter ones interspersed, always waved and notched, often
in age variously emarginate, greenish cream-colour. Spores white. Flesh thick, juicy, pure white (slightly
changing to greenish yellow when bruised or cut, Krombliok). Stem from six to ten inches high, solid, firm, one
inch or more thick, nearly equal (never bidbous nor inserted into a collar at the apex) ; covered below the ring,
with concentric squarrose reflexcd scales. Ring superior, pendulous, scarcely wider than the stem, except just at
the margin, subpersistent, double, the inner membrane very tender, smooth, the outer scaly, floccose. Taste insipid.
Smell "like log-wood," Kfomb. Poisonous.
Agaricus Vittadiui, Moretti, Fries, Krombholz.

Hob. Bare, in woods, &c. At Wymondham, Norfolk. Eev. Dr. Badham, July, 1847.

The showy Agaric we now present has rarity as well as beauty to recommend it to attention. It has
only once been found iu England, that has been, ascertained tvith certainty, for ahhough Mr. Berkeley many
years ago found a white warty Agaric, which he believes to have beeu A. Vittadini, he had no opportunity
of making a drawing of it, and of course does not speak with positive conviction on the subject. Dr.
Badham's specimen grew in a hedge-bank enclosing a small ash spinney on the Norwich road, from
Wymondham ; probably they will not recur on the same spot, as the ground has been carefully cleared
and ploughed ; it is besides at aU times and in all localities a rare species.

There are exellent drawings, and very full particulars of this Agaric in the great work of Corda which
bears the name of Krombholz ; one point proved is, that it does not belong to the Amanites, among which
it was placed by the Italian Mycologists. Yittadini believed the young Agaric to have a scaly bulb, but
" afterwards doubted his own observation," and Corda adds, " my examples selected in considerable
number and at different spots do not support his account; it agrees with the true forms of the
Lepiotes, of which none has the shghtest trace of a volva, and the loose remains of a universal veil,
upon the pileus, by no means imply its existence." The Norfolk Agarics had the stem as Corda describes,
nearly cyUndrical, but tapering below, ovately obtuse, and smooth for that portion, the floccose sheathing
not commencing till an inch and a half above the base ; in other characters also they agreed so precisely
with the spinous forms given in his plate, that the portraits are identical. We did not observe any charge
in colour on cutting our Agarics : " the beautiful white colour turns greenish yellow " must apply to more

luxuriant and juicy specimens. Corda describes some of wliich the stem often reaches twelve inches in
height ! and we presume the other parts are in proportion. He also distinguishes two forms of the Agaric,
that wliich is most common in Italy being the rarer of the two in Germany : these appear to have no
essential diiTerence ; the Italian fungus is entirely snow-white, turning brownish where rubbed and handled,
with most peculiar " icicle-like " warts ; the German variety is only slightly scaly, upon a silky, brownish
epidermis ; both agree in the characters of the stem, ring, flesh, gills, &c. ; with regard to the latter
feature, " although often appearing to be truly forked they are not really so, it is merely a partial adhesion ;
the dimidiate gills are cut off vertically, and between them and the long ones are yet smaller, generally of a
tooth-hke form." The concentric " hosing " upon the stem exactly resembles one species of A. anensis ;
like that too the ring is a delicate membrane, clothed externally with the floccose prolongation of the fleecy
hose ; but the two Agarics can never be confounded with each other, as the Lepiote A. FittacUni has un-
changeably pale giHs and white spores ; the Cortinarious A. arvensis, from flesh-colour to purple gills and
dark-brown spores.

When eaten dried in small quantities this Agaric caused irritation and heat in the throat, fiuslnng heat
in the whole lody, and giddiness ; in large doses the effect does not appear to have been ascertained ; the
minor experiment having evidently been deemed sufficient; but when people swallow a suspicious article
to watch the effect of it upon themselves, the nervous excitement might cause the symptoms described ; the
Agaric might be innocent ; " a woman who ate an ounce and half fresh, broiled with butter, felt no effect
therefrom ; " we only trust the Paulets of Germany do not substitute the weaker sex for dogs in their
experiments ! it is a suspicious statement.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXVI.

CLATHRUS CANCELLATUS, MMeu.

Latticed Clathrus.
Clathkace^ (Corda.)

Gen. Char. Outer peridium, manifold, rarely simple, split into lacinise or irregularly opened, base seldom fur-
nished with a columella. Internal peridium fleshy, composed of latticed branches joined at the apex, fructiferous
within. The pulp viscid, sporidiferous, at length diffluent. Spores simple.

Spec. Char. Clathrus cancellatus. Peridium double ; outer peridium volva-like globose membranaceous^
reticidato-plicate within, split into laciuias. Internal peridium sessile, fleshy, latticed by branches anastomosing
obliquely ; without reddish, very smooth ; within paler, rugose, at first including mere gelatine, which becomes a
cinereous sporidiferous mass, which on the bursting of the fungus from its Volva-like outer covering immediately
begins to deliquesce, and flows away in a most feetid liquor, leaviug the inner side of the branches naked and reti-
culated, the outer surface pitted from collapse. Spores simple. Probably poisonous.

Clathrus canceUatus, Micheli, Bidliard, Fries, Berk. (MSS.)

Hai. South of Europe ; in England only fouud by Dr. Bromfield in the isle of Wight and by Mrs. Grifliths at
Torquay. August, 1848.

We are indebted to IMrs. Griffiths for some sketches of this very curious fungus, which although long
known and not uncommon in France and Italy was all but a stranger on EngUsh gi-ound. " It appeared
in Mrs. Travers' garden, at Torquay, in rich reddish earth, formerly a fir plantation ; when Mrs. Travers
gathered the fungus it was in a ball, and before she could bring it into the house it had burst up suddenly
to its height. The scarlet part had a most vivid colour tiU the darker part decomposed. I was so very

much annoyed with the stench I could not take more pains with the drawing The outside was pitted ;

in the winter state the inside is greenish, with network of whitish veins ; when split it looks like a walnut
with the husk on ; the ball inside was full of colourless jelly." (Mrs. Griffiths.) We have given the lady's
verbal sketch as well as that of her pencil, because an original description is always more graphic than
any modification of it.

The Clathrus is allied to the genus Phalloidea ; the common Vliallus impitdicus, if dug up in winter, is
an elastic ball like a shell-less egg ; with a very long, nearly simple root ; this ball is full of glair or mucilage
in which the rudiments of the future plant are enveloped, and may be traced, precisely as in the Clathrus ;
in this state there is neither scent nor flavour developed. In summer, the membranous sac bursts, by the

sudden and curiously rai^id evolvement of the plant it contains^ wliich attains its full, mature proportions
almost at once ; the same unbearably foetid effluvium escapes from the deHquescing contents of the net-work,
but in the deservedly, if vulgarly, named " Stink Horn," the latticed net instead of being sessile like the
Clathrus, is elevated on a tall stem, resembling an extinguisher on a candle.

A botanist of considerable eminence where phenogamous plants were concerned, occasioned us some
loss of time a few years ago, in the search for Clathrus Cancellatus of wliich he assured us a pale form
grew near Cray ; but his fungus was in fact Geaster CoUformu which has a multifid coriaceous outer coat,
and the inner peridium supported on several stems, instead of a single peduncle. We mention this to guard
others from a similar error because it was that of a really intelligent observer, and might occur again
although the Geaster in question is very rare. It proves how little even a good Botanist thought Mycology
within his scope. Poor Mj'cology !*

On looking out Glatlu-us in most English works the student may be perplexed by finding liimself
referred to some minute but exquisitely beautiful funguses, now placed under the heads Stemonitis, Arcyria,
or Trichia, but which Linnaeus called Clathrus, wliich means a lattice, from their net-like capiUitium ; as
these elegant little things however require a lens to display their lattice-work, there can be no confusion
between them, and Clathrus cancellatus properly so called. For the way in wliich a subject may be inge-
niously confused, and an inquirer misled we refer the Mycologist to E.ees' Encyclopedia, article Clathrus.

And now a question suggests itself, why have certain funguses so unpleasant a scent ? but it is not
peculiar to them alone ; the splendid Arum Bracuncnlus has exactly a similar mal-odour ; common flies
mistake it for carrion, and many a person passing the hedge-bank on which Phallus impudicus is growing,
affirms that a dead dog or sheep is hidden in the weeds below, little suspecting the truth, that to the fungus
only the nuisance must be ascribed.

* We must also warn against mistaking any of these balls, the undeveloped members of Phalloidea, for the
tubers of the truffle, which has been clone.

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Order Hvmenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXVII.

AGARICUS VOLEMUM, Fnes.

Warden-Pear Agaric.
Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Galorrheus.

Spec. Cliar. A. Volemum. Pileus dry, from three to five inches broad, compact, obtuse, firm, flesh thick, at
first slightly nmbonate, but the umbo at length vanishes ; sub-depressed, sometimes very faintly zoned, with a few
minute wrinkles towards the margin, dry, at length cracked ; of a rich dark orange or golden red-brown colour,
dai'kest in the centre, the whole rather dull than shining, in age growing paler ; margin not in the least involute,
though when young the edge of the pileus is regularly incurved. Milk white, not very abundant, not acrid at any
period, quite mild and sweet, tm-ning pallid brown when the flesh is cut. GUIs pale ochraceous, nearly white,
becoming fuscous when bruised, not very close, scarcely decurrent even in depressed specimens, sometimes slightly
forked. Spores creamy white. Stem from two to four inches high, above an inch thick, solid, firm, elastic, obese,
slightly attenuated downwards, pruinose, the upper portion of a beautifid aurora yellow, the rest of a paler tinge
than that of the pileus. " Very delicious even when eaten raw ; celebrated from early times." (Fries.)

Agakicus Volemum, Fries, Berkeley.

Hab. In woods. Hare.

The " Gold Broiling " of Germany and Hungary unluckily is not " sufficiently common " in tlie
southern parts of Britain^ though possibly produced in greater abundance in the Highlands, and fungus
epicures may envy the good folks of Prague, near which city it grows " copiously " according to Kromb-
holz, for undoubtedly the only one it ever fell to our share to regale upon, was the very best of all the
esculent Agarics, concerning which we have had opportunities of forming an opinion.

The name Volemum is that of a large pear, so called from vola, the palm of the hand, because each pear
is in itself a handful ; these pears are our Eed- Warden, or baking pear. The application of this designation
to the Agaric is not un-a])t, for the size of the pUeus is in circumference nearly that of the fruit, while its
depressed slightly wrinkled centre and plump shoulders represent in general configuration the thick end of
the pear ; the colour also is not unlike the rich reddish-yellow of the ripened Warden.

In August 1841S, our present subject appeared in Barnett wood near Hayes; it would be scarcely
possible to mistake it for any other of the tribe ; external colour is not a point to depend upon, and so far
as stem and pileus are concerned A. quietus or A. rvfus may be imagined to partake the orange hues of
A. Volemum, but internal colour, unatfected of course by foreign agencies, is always true to itself; the milk
of all tliree is at first pure white, but in Volemum exposure to the air changes it, when the flesh is cut, to
pallid umber, while that of the others still remains white, unchangeable. Whatever then may be the question
as to shades of red-brown or yellow, fading or unfading complexions, mere " outside show," let the in-

dividual in question be cut across, and if really A. Folemiim, this brownish tint to which it turns, unlike
any other of the Lactarius Agarics, will decide the point. A. rufus is painfully acrid ; A. deliciosus has
orange milk turning green ; the milk of A. aeris turns red ; that of The'ujalus yellow ; A. uvidiis, lilac ;
A. subdulcis has ferruginous gills, and is acrid when old, the milk is white and unchangeable, the stem hollow.
No one who has once seen A. Volemum will ever confuse it with any other, and to those who have not, we
introduce its " counterfeit," confident that it wiU enable them to recognise the living plant if they meet
with it ; there is a sort of quiet dignity in its stature, solidity and simple, richness of costume ; it is
certainly the chief in every view of the Galorrheus, or Lactarius, the milk-yielding family of Agarics. There
are not many of them esculent ; only two can be recommended ; our present subject, and A. deliciosus
which has been given before ; these have a considerable resemblance to each other in flavour and con-
sistence, resembling kidnies. We copy M. Ude's recipe for a mode of cooking, in which if the funguses
were substituted for the flesh, we do not believe any palate would detect the difi'erence, and ours would do
for a fast-day bonne-bouche, if indeed such a thing be fasting ! Meagre diet indeed ! Study — and learn how
to cheat — somebody.

" Sheeps' Kidnies (mycologically A. Volemum or A. deliciosus) with champagne (efonomically Perry).

" Take six or twelve kidnies, according to the quantity that you wish to dress ; remove the skins and
mince them the thickness and size of a halfpenny ; fry them in an omelette pan, with a bit of butter, taking
care to move the pan frequently, to fry the kidnies equally ; when they are done, strew over them a little
salt and pepper, some parsley chopped very fine, and a very small bit of eschalot, well chopped also, pour
over a little flour ; stir up all with a wooden spoon, then moisten with a glass of wliite Champagne or Chabhs
(neither Madeira nor Sherry will do) which should be very hot, but do not let it boil, otherwise the kidnies
win not be eatable ; add a little lemon and a little cayenne, and observe that those dishes should be well
seasoned." The French Cook, by Louis Eustache Ude.

Tia.tt ixixvm. i

AM, a d£i

Reeve BGrliam Aj R.et>ve i

Agaricus procerus, Sco^oii

Order Htmenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXVIII.

AGARICUS PROCERUS, scopou.

Snake A(jaric.
Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Lepiota.^

Spec. Char. A. procerus. Pileus from three to seven inches broad, at first obtusely conic, at length cam-
panulate, strongly urabonate, in age nearly plane with a slight depression round the umbo ; fleshy, epidermis
smooth, red-brown or umber, broken into irregidarly concentric, subreflexcd seceding scales : beneath these, and at
the margin, extremely loose and shaggy, white or brownish (not tinged with pink). Flesh white, unchangeable,
scanty, brittle, light, juicy, soft, except in the centre, where it forms a solid coriaceous socket to receive the stem
which penetrates it entirely to the epidermis. Gills perfectly free, set into a collar, separated by a considerable
space from the point of insertion of the stem, ventricose, their margins serrated, very pale flesh-colour or cream
white ; spores white. Stem from eight to twelve inches high, half an inch thick, attenuated upwards, moderately
bulbous, sohtary, perpendicular, (not bending angularly from a confluent mass,) scaly, very firm, rigid, fibrous,
splitting easily longitudinally ; distinctly and broadly channelled but containing a few silky fibres in youth, some-
times turning reddish if cut across. Eing membranaceous next the stem, and moveable upon it ; extremely thick,
spongy and shaggy. Smell peculiar, resembling capsicums, and occasionally hot in flavour. Excellent for food and
ketchup.

Agaricus procerus, ScopoU, Fries, Berkeley, Curtis, Sowerby, Vitladitii.
colubrinus, BuUiard.

Hah. On commons, banks, &c. ; subgregarious but not caespitose ; from July to October.

On poor dry soil, such as commons, among furze bushes, the speckled-snake stemmed Procerus, raises
a pileus, wliich at first scarcely exceeds in diameter the lofty pedestal ou which it is placed ; the base is
supported among debris of dry grass, dead sticks, moss, &c., by a cottony web, which must not, however,
be mistaken for a volva ; this Agaric, being a Lepiote, never possessed such an appurtenance. It is true
that before it shewed its smootli little brown scalp in dayhght, it was wrapped in a " universal veil concrete
with the epidermis," but the remains of that are only evident in the free portion of it which protected the
gills and afterwards formed the ring. This ring is so thick, loose, and large, in proportion when first it
breaks away from the expanding cap, that the " snake " has been called " double-headed " by some of the old
authors — an effect we have often seen. While the baby pileus is still reposing upon the bulbous base, on
which it sits as a cushion, the brown epidermis is smooth and entire, but its elastic power is not commen-
surate with the rapid growth of the Agaric, so it cracks, more or less circularly, into patches the distance
between which is increased till they become merely detached spots upon the surface, rolling themselves back
as they dry, and often disappearing altogether ; this original cortical covering occasionally remains only

' From XfTTir, a scale. Veil single, universal, closely adhering to, and confluent with the epidermis, when
burst forming a more or less persistent ring towards the middle of the stem. Stem hollow, stufl'ed with more or
less densely interwoven arachnoid threads ; equal or thickened at the base, fibrillose. Pileus more or less fleshy
but not compact, ovate when young, soon campanulate, then expanded and umbonate. Flesh white, soft. Gills
unequal, never distant or decurrent. Coloiu- of the gills white, in some varieties yellow. Solitary, persistent.
Autumnal Fungi growing on the ground ; not dangerous.

upon tlic umbo where it \s perdstent, the scales are called secedent. The circular markings or scales upon
the stem are caused by a similar over-stretcliing of its epidermis from the rapid elongation it sustains.

Beneath this broken up epidermis the pileus is more or less shaggy and loose^ and differs greatly in
the texture of the fleshy substancCj from that of ordinary Agarics ; although it becomes gradually con-
densed till it joins the gills, it is still light to a sMprising degree to a person who handles it for the first
time. When full grown the pileus assumes the shape of a " Parasole," a vulgar Italian name for it ; the
most careless observer cannot fail to notice so superb and striking an object. In depth and arrangement
of colour A.procerm varies somewhat, but it always restricts itself to shades of brown ; sometimes the
broken portions of the epidermis and the rough coating below them are of a uniform hazelbrown, so that
a partially expanded pileus, divested of stem, resembles half a cocoa-nut ; at other times the umbo and scales
are dusky umber, the substance beneath nearly white, of soft tomentose texture, elegantly relieving the dark
studs placed upon it.

The genuine A. procerus has been confounded with A. racJiodes, which difl'ers from it greatly, if
extreme examples of each be compared ; intermediate forms however may be found imi)erceptibly graduating
from one to the other, and it would be difBcult to draw a divisional line. The principal points of difference
are these : — A. procerus is much taller and more slender in all its proportions, it always has an umbo,
breaking ofi' into areolated scales, which scales are secedent, curling up in drWng like the cuticle of decaying
twigs; the (Jills are pale flesh-colour or cream- colour ; and neither they nor the flesh of the pileus turn
red when bruised or cut ; the stem runs so completely through the pileus that it cannot be pulled away
from it without making an orifice ; in fact the umbo is forraed by the end of the stem, simphj covered bij the
coriaceous epidermis ; there are no tints oipink on the pileiis of A. procerus ; and its stem is always marked
with the peculiar scales which have gained it the name colubrinus.

A. rachodes is extremely robust, the stem is short and 7iever marked with scales, but quite smooth. It is
ciespitose, a dense irregular white fibrous mass, producing from four to six confluent bulbs, the stems from
which take a lateral bend, to give room for the immense caps they have to support ; the pileus is never
umbonate, the epidermis breaks up in lai-ge polygonal patches which are persistent, remaining fixed to the
tomentose layer beneath, and by preventing the portions to which they are attached from expanding, they
cause channels in the substance often a quarter of an inch deep, giving it a notched appearance. There is
often a rich glow of pink on the tomentose coat of the pileus. The flesh is thicker than in A. procerus,
and the top of the stem does not jrierce through it entirely, but may be turned out of the socket witliout
fracturing the pileus ; the stem has a narrow channel, containing a silky pith ; the gills are jchite, turning
red when bruised, the whole plant turns dark orange or rust colour when cut.

We have now and then found a peculiarly beautiful species ; every portion, — gills, pileus, and stem, —
is of a dazzling whiteness, except that aflat, not umbonate, central portion of the epidermis about an inch and
a half across is left like a bright brown crest, divided by a chasm from the few scattered scales around it;
this has not a shagg)-, but soft silky pileus, no scales upon the stem, and perfectly unchangeable flesh : it is
A. subtomentosus of Krombholz, and probably is near in af&nity to A. rachodes ; but when Fries suggested
that perhaps it was an aged specimen of that Agaric which had lost its scales ! he forgot his own character
" persistentes." Pity but he could see the lovely original ! A. rachodes too, has been sadly slandered ;
Vittadini places it among his esculent funguses only to deny its fitness to be eaten ! In London A.pro-
cerus brings a high price and commands a sure market among the ketchup manufacturers ; none is so good ;
we do not know whether they distinguish A. rachodes from its relative, we suspect not ; its juices are more
abundant but not so rich ; we should certainly select Procerus for a broil, if choice were allotted between
them : it is the King of Mushrooms, but A. rachodes is an excellent Viceroy.

Take A. procerus just before the veil breaks away, cut oft' the stalks, scrape the caps, remove the veil,
do not wash them ; place a bit of butter in each with jDepper and salt, and put them without gravy into a
china stew pan ; they will furnish their own and are the best of the dark-gravied Agarics, resembling meat
more than any other.

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate LXXXIX.

AGARICUS VESCUS, 67/......

Var. a. Fries in Epicrisis.
Esculent Rmsula.

Section FirMjE.
Series Leucosporus. Sub-genus Rxjssula.

Spec. Char. A. Vescus. Pileus from four to six inches across, the outer pellicle viscid in youth, afterwards
dry, dull opake, virgate with innate fibres, rugulose, fleshy, firm, at first imyularly nmhiUcate, convex, tlien plane,
then much depressed in the centre, infundibuUform. Margin smooth, at length remotely striate. Flesh pure white,
except just beneath the epidermis where it is purplish red. Gills adnate, attenuated behind, lanceolate in front,
altogether broad, very little forked, moderately close, white inclining to cream-colour ; spores white. Stem pure
white, (never flushed with red,) firm, channelled, wrinkled, solid, in age cavernous, not regularly hollow ; from one
and a half to three inches high ; from half an inch to an inch thick. The colour of the pileus is extremely variable ;
we may distinguish : —

Var. a. Pileus rugulose of a purely flesh-red, the disc darkest ; stem reticulated ; gills scarcely forked ; rather
fi-agile. Smell of Cray -fish. Flavour agreeable, raw.

Var. 0. Pileus variegated with difi'erent colours, duskily virgated, the disc paler ; the gills more firm. Smell
slight (Fries), flavour of hog's lard.

Both varieties are excellent for food.

Agaeicus Vescus, Clusins, Fries.

Hah. Under oaks &c., in old woodlands. August to October.

If we know of any one, who in the pride of intellect spurned all mental tasks as mere play, we would
tame him by insisting on his mastering, classifying, and explaining the synonymes of the genus Eussula.

In cases of ravelled skeins attempts to disentangle always make the confusion worse confounded, and
so it is with these unfortunate Agarics : they are not only extremely difficult to study in themselves, but
the efforts of each commentator to solve, has rendered more complicated, the original puzzle. To clear
away the labyrinth of modern bewilderment and go back to primitive simphcity, is the only way to set things
right ; and if to fliis be objected, " primitive observations are very curt and bald ; " so they are, but for that
reason if we identify a fungus by particulars so scanty, it is all the more satisfactory. Owing to their
seizing on none but prominent features, the old mycologists classed several varieties under one head, but
the moderns have gone into the contrary extreme and founded a new species on every difference. And

yet perhaps this is an unfaii- statement, for if differences do exist wliich though slight are constant, it is
better to set down too many descriptive particulars than too few : the misfortune is that the most im-
portant points are apt to be lost sight of in the details, and closer study is required to place the subject
before us in a distinct recognisable aspect. Many small points too can be given by the pencil which words
fail to represent, and again others are easily and strictly defined in words which cannot be produced in
plates ; between both, we trust to present an excellent aud elegant Agaric clearly before the student, con-
fining ourselves in the present case to the red variety of A. vescus, but in truth we have only come to the
conclusion that our Agaric is the one Tries so designates after a most patient investigation ; that it is truly
Fescus in quality, experience has long convinced us, but we only arrived at the certainty of its being
identical with the Agaric so called, because it could not possibly be anything else. It never has the
roseate flush upon the stem which distinguishes A. lepidus, and its whole type is different from that (also
an excellent article for the table). It has many characters of the fuugus Vittadini describes as A. ruber,
Agarieus integer of Fries, but not others that are essential; it has ivkite, not cream-coloured spores, which
the Italian author assigns to his A. ruber, while the purple-red under the epidermis, although taken by itself,
not a sufficient peculiarity to create a distinct species, is so particularly noticed by Tries when it does
exist (which is only in two cases, A. vescus and his A. emeticiis, not the Emeticus of Schoefi'er given in
one of our early numbers) that an Agaric possessing it cannot be A. integer ; we know it is not the acrid
Emeticus, and are thrown inevitably on J. i'e««««. "And why not?" it maybe asked: "why make any
difficulty about it. " Because the type of A. vescus had always imprinted itseK on our mind in the dull
dingy purplish-greeu garb worn by A. keteropliyllus of Vittadini and Krombholz neither of whom have
noticed this red species of it, in any way ; indeed if considered at all, it has been considered sometliing
else, and its very singular and powerful scent and flavour of cray-fish, have been ascribed to the pallid green
A. virescens, which smells and tastes only of Champignons i^A. oreades). The usual purplish-green form has
not this cray-fish scent; but that of the modern HeteropliyUus (once placed, perhaps for that reason,
under the same head), — hog's lard.

We have thought it better, not being able on account of restricted number to bring forward several,
to select this extreme form for publication, since it is more advisable to encounter a difficulty than to evade
it, and the more common style of developemeut will be easily understood when met with ; after reflecting
upon the present tendency to create new species, it would never do to fall into that error ourselves, or
certainly this Agaric differs enough from its congeners already estabhshed, to encourage so doing. It has
cream-coloured giUs which are broad, simple or rarely forked, they are adnate or close to the stem,
narrowest behind, fullest in the centre, aud broadly lanceolate in front, they are always puckered in where
they join the pileus, as if that had shrunk, extremely irregular in distance from each other owing to its
irregular expansion ; some are unduly crowded, and others made to gape apart. The margin is in some
places curiously folded down, (not properly inflexed,) so as to render the gills only half as long in those
portions as where it is plane. This Agaric has a general resemblance, when growing, to A. alutaceus, but
as that when examined has buff gills and spores, there can be no mistake.

No Fungus has higher pretensions to gastronomic excellence, for it is extremely refined and delicate in
flavour ; it has no approximation to meat in taste or consistence , but resembles cray-fish, and should be
simply fried as directed for A. heterophi/llus. ,

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Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati.

Plate XC.

AGARICUS CAMPESTRIS, unnceus.

The Mushroom.
Series Pratella. Siib-geuus Psaliota.

Spec. Char. A. C.vmpestbis. Pileus from two to six inches broad, at first convex, then plano-convex, dry,
white, subsquaniose or silky, or clothed with reddish-browu adpressed fibrillae, collected into little fascicles ; epi-
dermis easily separating from the flesh, projecting beyond the gills ; flesh firm, but brittle, thick, white, sometimes
tinged with pink beneath the epidermis, and at the junction of the stem with the pileus. Gills very unequal, free,
hut approximate, more or less ventricose, obtuse and occasionally forked behind ; of a beautiful pink, growing dark
brownish purple ; spores rich dark brown. Stem from two to three inches high from half an inch to an inch thick;
nearly equal or slightly thickened at the base, solid w^bite, beautifully but minutely silky, furnished with a ring
which is sometimes sub-])ersistent, thick and spongy, irregularly lacerated, sometimes of a cortinarious fugacious
texture ; root consisting of a few branched white fibres, often beset with little knobs, which are the infant state of
the plant. Scent and flavour very agreeable. Esculent, most excellent.

Agaeicus campestris. Litmans, Fries, Berheley, WUJiering, Sowerby, Persoon.

Hah. In pastures, parks, &e., where the ground has not been phiughcd up for many years. August and Sept.

All the funguses called " Mushroom " iu England may be classed under two heads^ A. campedria our
present subject, and A. arvensls, the Horse-mushroom; the latter we have depicted in two of its forms, and
described in others ; A. campestris differs from it in having the gills of a purer pink, and richer purple-
brown ; these are broader and more approximate to the stem, and shew a tendency to deliquesce sooner ;
in the flesh never turning yellow even when rubbed with salt, and in having a solid stem. It is usual to
describe the spores as purjde-hrown, which is certainly the hue of the gills in maturity, for being of a laky
chocolate colour in themselves, they have then a purplish general tinge : " liver-colour " (Sir J. E. Smith)
describes it exactly ; but the spores when deposited on a sheet of white paper, will appear as they truly are,
of a rich umber-brown shade ; in A. arvetisis they are blacker and colder in tone, but not materially so ;
the gills being much more persistent in that species, grow extremely dark with age ; those of Campestris
spontaneously make themselves into ketchup at an earlier period, and this melting state of the gills retains
the spores, so that they are never so copiously deposited as in the varieties of A. arvensis.

The English "Musliroom" proper takes two different forms, according to soil and other conditions
of site. The first case is that of rich cool loam districts, such as the extensive grazing pastures where the
dairymen of Bucks herd their cows, and which have not been ploughed or mowed within the scope of the
remotest tradition ; the herbage is kept down by the cattle, and neither rude gravel below, nor rank matted
grass above, offers obstacles to the regular developement of the fairest and most fragile of mushrooms, the
very perfection of the thing ! no freckles deface the white silky pileus, no tliick cottony screen swathes a
clumsy stem, betokening coarse over-feeding ; a light soft veil is all the protection the gills ever had, and
they have expanded so rajiidly even that has disappeared, or left only a few lacerated fragments on the
stem ; tender, succulent, friable and digestible, noui-ished on pure earth, in air redolent of wild thyme and
the breath of kine, by dew which might be Fairies' nectar it is so free from the impurities of city miasma, the

raost delicate valetudinarian need seek no further for a wholesome dish, provided he add to it no deleterious
seasoning, and what seasoning can he want ? Well ! We have sometimes thought, when making a very
acceptable luncheon in our Whittlebury forest rambles, that if we had providently brought out a little salt,
it would have given piquancy to the raw mushrooms ! Tliis smooth variety of A. campesiris loses the
brilliant whiteness of its pileus in age, turning pale silvery brown, but is never scaly or rough ; it makes the
finest flaps in its perfect expansion, and the most dehcate globular buttons in youth ; its flesh is pure white.

The second kind of Mushroom has a thick spongy veil and sub-persistent ring, the epidermis is scaly
and shaggy, beneath Mhich the flesh has a roseate flush ; the shape is seldom regular ; the flesh is
much thicker in proportion, and altogether it has the air of having been fed on a coarser pabuliun than the
first ; it has also decidedly a coarser flavour, but is quite wholesome. It grows commonly round London
and is that depicted by Sowerby as A. campestris ; it neither forms neat compact little buttons, nor splendid
])lane flaps for broiling, being generally irregularly and imequally developed from the impediments of
pebbles in the soil, or constricting grass roots, at an early period. This variety however may be strongly
recommended for ketchup, which it afl'ords very copiously while yet in the pink state ; and it makes very
wholesome stews, although the epicure will detect as much difference in flavour between this and its rival,
as between the fat mutton and the wild venison of their different native districts. " Cultivation and dung
give them without doubt more flesh and body, those grown on a hot-bed (champignons de couche) are as
if bloated (boursoufle) with substance." (Traite des Champ. Paulet). The cuUivafed mushroom has a
coarser more persistent veil, is extremely thickened in flesh and stem, while the gills are pale and narrow.
(Jwing to the slowness of its growth it is tough and indigestible, and the flavour is as inferior as the materials
given to produce it, — musty straw in a cellar, or what other nook in the shape of pit or box or out of the way
dungeon, can be afl'orded to the gipsey child of the sunny woodland pasture. Tout soil, foul air, foul moisture !
no wonder mushrooms are considered unwholesome ! Personally, the only time they caused illness was when
a kind offering was sent to the " Mycologist " from a neighboiu's hot bet in mid-M inter ; and as in duty
hound we have always since warned against them.

A remarkable Agaric, scarcely at first recognisable for a Mushroom, we have found for several successive
seasons piercing through a bank of gravel at the foot of an elm by the road side, the debris from extensive
farm-offices being bttered all about ; the affinity of these specimens w'as evidently with the cultivated ones,
indeed we might call them with Paulet, " champignons de couche francs" or uild hot bed mushrooms.
In the button state the pressure of the gravel had cracked the pileus into irregular polygons ; afterwards it
became marked in concentric rows with strong brown scales, the substance was extremely sohd, the stem
corky, and a vinous tint pervaded the flesh when cut ; the dimensions were enormous, from fourteen to
eighteen inches across. These large individuals made the most exquisite ketchup, the smaller ones were good
for the table ; where the cows grazed and farming litter occupied the ground, in Marylebone Fields, now
stand hundreds of mansions and very little trace of rustic life remains ; in the grounds of the Adult
Orphan asylum however is one remarkable token : annuall_v, the pupils enjoy a regale of excellent mushrooms
\<\\\c\\ appear on the premises very punctually, none having ever been artificially placed there. This fact
excited the attention of a botanical as well as benevolent friend. Miss Hall, who brought some for inspection .
they are unquestionably this same " champignon de coucht franc" rather smoky.

Besides these which we have noticed, no other English variety of A. campestris has been discovered.
All other funguses called " Mushroom " come under A. arvensis, having Jwllow or piiped stems and a disposi-
tion to change yellow. A. campestris has no tinge of yellow nor does it acquire it by salting, and the stem is
never naturally piped or channelled, though it may grow hollow by decay in old age. These simple rules for
distinguishing being laid down, any unusual Agaric of the family may at once be referred to its proper head,
and although some species of Arvensis are questionable in character, all the members of A. campestris are
safe.

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Plate.

Agaeicus acUistus 73

eeruginosus 35

aimatoehelis 19

arvensis, var. ex 76

arvensis, var. b 77

aureus 71

campestris 90

caulicinalis 68

cinnamomeus 30

coccineus 61

cristatus 48

dealbatus 39

deliciosus 67

— dryophilus 39

emeticus 41

euosmus 75

FcEuisecii 39

flexuosus 59

Georgii 83

giganteus 79

— — ■ granulosus 45

heterophyUus 84

laccatus 47

lateritius 60

micaceus 55

mollis 74

muscarius 1

orceUus 78

oreades 38

peronatus 69

pileolarius 66

prateusis 40

procerus 88

psammocephalus 73

psittacinus 49

riate.

Agaricus pudens 80

radicatus 15

• rubescens 33

rufus 15

semiglobatus 39

squarrosus 8

variabilis 50

veUereus 63

velutipes B6

• vescus 89

violaceus 12

Vittadini 85

■ volemum 87

Boletus bovinus 34

edulis 81

laricinus 25

luridus 7

pachypus 22

scaber 57

subtomentosus 5

Bulgaria inquinans 33

CanthareUus cibarius 4

Clavaria iusequalis 18

pistillaris 62

Clathrus cancellatus 86

Dffidalia betulina 28

Exidia aui'icula Judse 53

glandulosa ''•2

Kstulina hepatica 65

Geaster limbatus 2

Hydnum repaudum 16

Lycoperdoii gemmatuin 54

giganteum 26

pyriforme 70

saccatum 14

u

ALPHABETICAL INDEX.

Plate.

Jlemlius lachrvuiaus 3

Merulius tremellosus 10

Mitrula paludosa 9

Morchella eseulenta 13

Peziza aurantia 37

coccinea 44

I'olyporus dryadeiis . 31

giganteus 83

hispidus (young) 29

hispidus (old) 31

intylsaceus 6

pereiiuis 51

quercinus 52

Plate.

squamosus 33

suaveoleus 43

sulphureus 46

vorsicolor 24

ulinarius 64

Scleroderma verrucosum 17

vulgare, h 17

Thelephora caerulea, b 20

• hirsuta 58

purpurea 20

Tremella meseuterica 37

Tuber cibarium 11

INDEX.

Order in loh'ich the Plates should be bound up to accord with the arrangement of the English Flora.

Agaricus muscarius

rubescens

Vittadini

procerus

cristatus

granulosus

Georgii

eraeticus

vescus

heterophyllus

adustus

deliciosus

volemum

rufus

flexuosus

vellereus

pileolarius

g'iganteus

dealbatus

• • pratensis

psittacinus

■ cocciueus

laccatus

— — • radicatus

pudeiis

velutipes

dryophilus

■ peronatus

oreades

caulicinalis

euosmus

ulmarius

Agaricus orcellus

aimatochelis

violaceus

■ cinnamomeus

• aureus
squarrosus

• mollis
variabilis

• arvensis, var. a.

■ arvensis, var. b.

■ campestris

■ semi-globatus

■ asruginosus

■ latcritius
Fcenisecii

Cantharellus cibarius
Merulius tremeUosus

lacbi-ymans

Dsedalia betuUna
Polyporus squamosus
perennis

intybaceus

giganteus

sulphureus

queroinus

hispidus (young)

hispidus (old)

suaveolens

versicolor

ulmarius

dryadeus

Boletus laricinus

bovinus

subtomentosus

pachypus

luridus

edulis

scaber

Fistulina liepatica
Hyduum renaudum
Thelepliora hirsuta

pui'purea

cserulea

Clavaria pistillaris

inaequaUs

Mitrula paludosa
Morchella esculenta
Peziza aurantia

Bidgaria inquinans
Tremella mesenterica
Exidia am'icula Judse

glandulosa

Tuber cibarium
Clatbrus caaceQatus
Geaster limbatus
Lycoperdon giganteum

gemmatum

pyriforme

saccatum

Scleroderma vulgare
verrucosum

EEEVE, BENHAM, AND KEEVE,

PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS OF SCIENTIFIC WORKS,

KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND.

Hussey, Thorns ofin/inuslra!ionE or Bri

' ' I . ilillll""" ■■■ "

III

3 5 '^■- 001