powdery warts, as in L. gemmatum, each of which becomes eveutually au embossed scale ; while the giant 

 of the tribe wears a surtout of the smoothest kid-leather. The commoner Lycoperdons, gemmatum, pyri- 

 forme, &c., have a warty surface, but it never resembles the mature "sculptured," " cisele," development 

 of L. cmlatum ; they have besides more or less prominent mouths at the apex. 



This is not one of the Lycoperdons to be recommended for the table ; our courageous friend Dr. 

 Badham ventured on some pretty juvenile specimens, such as would have made au excellent />i^;!«;-a if the 

 ordinary bttle puffs had been the subjects of it, but these tasted " fishy," so that not a sufficient quantity 

 was eaten to test their salubrity. It may be as well to mention that those " ordinary Kttle puffs," however, 

 are not Lycoperdons at all, but Bovistas, of which there are two English species, B. nigrescens and B. 

 phimbea, neither of them rare in dry pastures and on heaths, and both esculent. The genus Bovista, as 

 modemly arranged, differs from Lycoperdon in being altogether fertile within, while there is always a 

 spongy barren stratum forming a base, more or less persistent in the Lycoperdons. We have only once 

 found our " embossed " friend in tliis neighbourhood : it is surprising how it could have thrust up its soft 

 tender head among hard-bound gravel and sharp fragments of fhnt, a rude sod, covered with arenarias and 

 the tiniest attempts at sheep's sorrel [Rmnex Acetoselld) ; no wonder the site cramped its growth. One was 

 found by a friend in Devon as large as a man's head — but tliis was a monster. 



