EDIBLE MUSHROOMS. 33 



COMMON MUSHROOM. 



Agaricus (Psalliota) campestris. 



(Plate I. Fig. 3.) 



Very little description is needed for this 

 well-known species, the marvel being how 

 any one can possibly confound it with any 

 other kind, and yet we read occasionally 

 of mishaps from eating something else in 

 mistake. The stem is surrounded by a 

 well-defined collar or ring, the gills are of 

 a delicate pink when young, becoming at 

 length of a deep brown ; the cap is some- 

 times smooth and sometimes more or less 

 scaly, with a separable cuticle ; the odour 

 is distinct and fragrant, and the taste, when 

 raw, nutty and pleasant. The kind sold so 

 commonly by greengrocers in London, by 

 no means attractive in appearance, consists 

 for the most part of the Horse Mushroom. 

 In the markets of provincial towns we have 

 only seen the true mushroom exposed for 

 sale, as the Horse Mushroom is considered 



