PLATE III. 



MARASMIUS OREADES, OR FAIRY-RING CHAMPIGNON. 



DESCRIPTION. PILEUS. Leathery, tough, and of an equal cream color, pliable when moist; shrivelling, wrinkled, even 

 brittle when dry, changing from the former to tbe latter with a dew or rain followed by a hot sun, and also vice versa. 

 Cuticle not separable. 



GILLS. Broad, wide apart, of the same color as pilens, or a little paler. 



STEM. Solid, of equal circumference; tough, not breaking easily if bent or twisted. 



VOLVA and ring, none. 



SPORES white. 



TASTE and SMELL musky, rather strong, but nutty and agreeable. 



GROWS in rings or groups in rich lawns or roadsides. 



TO COOK. F r serving with meat or fish, cut the tops clear from the stems just below the gills. To a pint of mush- 

 rooms, if moist, add about a gill of water, pepper and salt to the taste, and a piece of butter half the size of an egg. Simmer 

 together over the fire ten or fifteen minutes, thicken with flour or ground rice, and pour over the cooked meat or fish. 



TO BROIL. Place the tops like oysters on a fine wire gridiron ; as soon as they are hot, butter them lightly, and salt 

 and pepper to the taste. Put them back over the coals, and when they are heated through they are cooked. Butter them, if 

 required, and place in a hot dish. 



N. B. When the mushrooms are dried, swel! them in water before cooking. 



