upon tlic umbo where it \s perdstent, the scales are called secedent. The circular markings or scales upon 

 the stem are caused by a similar over-stretcliing of its epidermis from the rapid elongation it sustains. 



Beneath this broken up epidermis the pileus is more or less shaggy and loose^ and differs greatly in 

 the texture of the fleshy substancCj from that of ordinary Agarics ; although it becomes gradually con- 

 densed till it joins the gills, it is still light to a sMprising degree to a person who handles it for the first 

 time. When full grown the pileus assumes the shape of a " Parasole," a vulgar Italian name for it ; the 

 most careless observer cannot fail to notice so superb and striking an object. In depth and arrangement 

 of colour A.procerm varies somewhat, but it always restricts itself to shades of brown ; sometimes the 

 broken portions of the epidermis and the rough coating below them are of a uniform hazelbrown, so that 

 a partially expanded pileus, divested of stem, resembles half a cocoa-nut ; at other times the umbo and scales 

 are dusky umber, the substance beneath nearly white, of soft tomentose texture, elegantly relieving the dark 

 studs placed upon it. 



The genuine A. procerus has been confounded with A. racJiodes, which difl'ers from it greatly, if 

 extreme examples of each be compared ; intermediate forms however may be found imi)erceptibly graduating 

 from one to the other, and it would be difBcult to draw a divisional line. The principal points of difference 

 are these : — A. procerus is much taller and more slender in all its proportions, it always has an umbo, 

 breaking ofi' into areolated scales, which scales are secedent, curling up in drWng like the cuticle of decaying 

 twigs; the (Jills are pale flesh-colour or cream- colour ; and neither they nor the flesh of the pileus turn 

 red when bruised or cut ; the stem runs so completely through the pileus that it cannot be pulled away 

 from it without making an orifice ; in fact the umbo is forraed by the end of the stem, simphj covered bij the 

 coriaceous epidermis ; there are no tints oipink on the pileiis of A. procerus ; and its stem is always marked 

 with the peculiar scales which have gained it the name colubrinus. 



A. rachodes is extremely robust, the stem is short and 7iever marked with scales, but quite smooth. It is 

 ciespitose, a dense irregular white fibrous mass, producing from four to six confluent bulbs, the stems from 

 which take a lateral bend, to give room for the immense caps they have to support ; the pileus is never 

 umbonate, the epidermis breaks up in lai-ge polygonal patches which are persistent, remaining fixed to the 

 tomentose layer beneath, and by preventing the portions to which they are attached from expanding, they 

 cause channels in the substance often a quarter of an inch deep, giving it a notched appearance. There is 

 often a rich glow of pink on the tomentose coat of the pileus. The flesh is thicker than in A. procerus, 

 and the top of the stem does not jrierce through it entirely, but may be turned out of the socket witliout 

 fracturing the pileus ; the stem has a narrow channel, containing a silky pith ; the gills are jchite, turning 

 red when bruised, the whole plant turns dark orange or rust colour when cut. 



We have now and then found a peculiarly beautiful species ; every portion, — gills, pileus, and stem, — 

 is of a dazzling whiteness, except that aflat, not umbonate, central portion of the epidermis about an inch and 

 a half across is left like a bright brown crest, divided by a chasm from the few scattered scales around it; 

 this has not a shagg)-, but soft silky pileus, no scales upon the stem, and perfectly unchangeable flesh : it is 

 A. subtomentosus of Krombholz, and probably is near in af&nity to A. rachodes ; but when Fries suggested 

 that perhaps it was an aged specimen of that Agaric which had lost its scales ! he forgot his own character 

 " persistentes." Pity but he could see the lovely original ! A. rachodes too, has been sadly slandered ; 

 Vittadini places it among his esculent funguses only to deny its fitness to be eaten ! In London A.pro- 

 cerus brings a high price and commands a sure market among the ketchup manufacturers ; none is so good ; 

 we do not know whether they distinguish A. rachodes from its relative, we suspect not ; its juices are more 

 abundant but not so rich ; we should certainly select Procerus for a broil, if choice were allotted between 

 them : it is the King of Mushrooms, but A. rachodes is an excellent Viceroy. 



Take A. procerus just before the veil breaks away, cut oft' the stalks, scrape the caps, remove the veil, 

 do not wash them ; place a bit of butter in each with jDepper and salt, and put them without gravy into a 

 china stew pan ; they will furnish their own and are the best of the dark-gravied Agarics, resembling meat 

 more than any other. 



