lobedj and waved at the margin ; wliile B. luridus is always very regular in shape, the margin being sharp 

 and entire, not in the least waved or lobed, and never cooped in towards the stem. The mass of tubes in 

 the other two species is exceedingly shallow when young, and quite concave ; in B. luridus it is plane with 

 the margin at first, and afterwards, by growth, very regularly convex, so that the form of the head becomes 

 a much-flattened sphere, divided into two nearly equal portions by the restricting margin, the pileus above 

 and the tubes below having the same convexity. The epidermis of B. Satanas and its brother is sub- 

 viscous ; in B. luridus it is very slightly so, and only when wet, when dry it is tomentose. The tubes are 

 not so pure a yellow as in the others ; the flesh is yellower, and nothing like so thick or sohd as theirs. It 

 is a bold, handsome fungus, sometimes young orauge-red specimens being particularly pretty : occasionally 

 under trees the hues are all more delicate than in open pastures. 



If a person, totally ignorant of the qualities of the Boletus tribe, were invited to select from a number 

 the most promising article for diet, the choice would very possibly fall upon some of these neat, clean young 

 deceivers. Their smell is not unpleasant, and thek flavour is sweetish ; there is nothing at ah. to indicate 

 injurious quahties, unless the change of colour be admitted as a test ; — the evidence against B. luridus is too 

 strong to allow of any rash experiment in disproof of the charge, as the result might corroborate it. It 

 must be remembered that others of the tribe turn blue as well as tins, therefore that change is no proof that 

 any blue-blushing Boletus we cut across is B. luridus, but it wOl be well to eschew all that do so. The 

 tubes of this species are so fine that in a young state their orifices are scarcely visible : they are dull yellow, 

 tiU the ripening of the spores gives them an olivaceous hue. Theu' orifices being red or orange would mis- 

 lead, unless the pileus were broken asunder, — then it is evident that the bright red tint is confined to the 

 lips ; in age it disappears, and the spongy mass appears dull oKve only. 



