stewing turns it green ; these two points^ besides otlierSj more liarticularly identify it with the Agaric 

 described by Withering as A. Listeri, and wliich probably is the true plant of Lister; it has a smooth pileus 

 whereas A. piperatus of AYithering and Linna;us, our A. Torminosus and which is considered most deadly^ is 

 the " Mouton Zone " of the French peasants, so called to distinguish it from the zoneless " Mouton blanc " 

 which they eat ; now as sheep, whether French or English, are fleecy, A. vellereus is cleaxly pointed out by 

 their distinction, for it lies between two woolly individuals, not between a long-woolled and a shorn sheep. 



Dr. Badliam says "the controversus of Vittadini is the fungus wliich the peasants about Lucca eat 

 under the name of the Lucchese Goat, it grows in great abundance in the chestnut forests of the environs. 

 The milk which it pours out very copiously is white and in all its sensible quahties identical with the 

 Agaricus piperatus of Scopoli and Agaricus vellereus of Fries. It resembles both those funguses very 

 closely, but differs fi-om the first in not changing to umber when bruised and in having the gills simple, very 

 pale flesh-colour not wliite ; from Ag. vellereus in not having a tomentum exceiDt at its border and in the 

 colour, shape, and frequency of its gills ; it is generally white, but sometimes vnth a yellowish tinge of 

 epidermis, it soon becomes very pungent and not a httle bitter, not^-ithstanding which unpromising ante- 

 cedents, the peasants are not afraid to sup upon it grilled or fried with a piece of chestnut bread, and do not 

 suffer. Somewhat imeasy at the extreme pungency of the milk, I have contented myself with tasting it ; 

 it loses all this pungency, however, by cooking." 



This Agaricus controversus we have not as yet found in England, and om- readers will agree that there 

 seems little to regret in the deficiency. Persoon describes A. cotitroversus as the species most commonly 

 eaten, being t. 538, fig. c, d, e, BuUiard. Lactarius piperatus of Fries is ^e piperatus of the Flora, vol. vi. 

 A. acri.<i, 200 of Bidhard. A. Listeri, Withering. Tlie very first opportunity, our present subject A. vellereus 

 shall be tasted, for though clearly it is not the "Lucchese Goat," it may be the "Mouton blanc." 



" I should think ScopoH's species is rather A. vellereus ; whether any of these be the esculent species 

 of the continent I cannot say ; I suspect A. vellereus." — Berkeley. 



There is a large Agaric much resembUng A. vellereus, but without milk, hence called Exsnccus ; the 

 giUs of this are sometimes edged with a verdigris tinge which, and the absence of milky juices, ^vill sufficiently 

 distinguish the plant. 



The difficulty of deciding on funguses of so very doubtful a character even to the experienced in such 

 matters, will we trust discourage rash experiments on individuals of the genus Lactarius ; particularly the 

 pallid members of it. 



