POISONOUS MUSHROOMS. 123 



SATANIC BOLETUS. 



Boletus satanas. 



(Plate XVIII. Fig. 1.) 



This grows to be one of the largest and 

 most splendid Boleti we possess, but it 

 seems to be rather local. On one occasion 

 we found twenty or thirty specimens 

 growing together, some of which were a 

 foot in diameter, eight or nine inches high, 

 with a stem four inches thick, but they are 

 often much smaller. It is autumnal, and 

 favours rather open woods. The pileus 

 is whitish or pale flesh colour, but soon 

 discoloured, for it changes wherever bruised, 

 and, being viscid, is generally ornamented 

 by the adherence of dead leaves, twigs, and 

 particles of soil. The under surface is very 

 convex, yellowish, then red, blood-red, or 

 crimson, punctured with myriads of pores. 

 The stem is always thick and short, bright 

 yellow or orange above, purplish-red below, 

 and in the upper half reticulated with a 



