8 INTRODUCTION. 



The number of poisonous species has, perhaps, been exag- 

 gerated ; but of these there are manj^, and the dangerous 

 properties of a few are extremely virulent. No golden rule 

 can be established by means of which any one may detect at a 

 glance the good from the bad, without that kind of knowledge 

 which is applied to the discrimination of species. Yet, after 

 all, the character of a half-dozen species or more of good 

 esculent fungi can be acquired as easily as it is to distinguish 

 between half a dozen birds, such as any schoolboy could dis- 

 criminate. There is no trouble with some species to identify ; 

 for instance, the morels no one can mistake, the puff balls are 

 also so plain that it is utterly impossible to be mistaken. 

 There is nothing more delicious than a morel or puff ball 

 when used before decomposition has set in, as safe as an egg 

 omelet. 



Nearly all the accidental poisoning by toadstools occurs by 

 neglecting to identify the Amanita family. There are at least 

 four species of that family that contain large quantities of the 

 alkaloid amanitine, which is verj^ poisonous. And the external 

 appearance is so much like some of the common edible mush- 

 rooms that it may ver}' easily be mistaken. 



One of the chief distinguishing characters of the Amanita 

 family is the universal wrapper surrounding the plant when 

 young, which, however, is ruptured when fully developed, 

 leaving traces on the cap and stem in the form of discrete 

 warts on the cap and a sheath around the base of the stem. 

 The gills are also free from the stem, which are snow-white. 

 The odor and taste is not in the least repugnant. The color 

 of the cap varies so much that it is not a reliable character to 

 go by. For further and more definite description of the char- 

 acter and diagnosis of the edible and poisonous, I would refer 

 you to the subsequent list. It is said that boiling with condi- 

 ments would modify the poisonous or toxic alkaloid. 



Tanin or au}^ astringent medicine is supposed to modify the 



