lO BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



to some of the most ancient of civilized peoples. 

 Amongst the old Greeks fungi were certainly eaten, 

 for Athenaeus quotes various authors on the subject. 

 He says there are not many kinds which are good 

 to eat, and that the greater part of them produce 

 a choky sensation. Another author says, "You 

 will be choked, like those who waste away by eat- 

 ing mushrooms," showing that even then there were 

 persons prejudiced against them. The Romans, too, 

 indulged in the same habits, for there are various 

 allusions in Latin authors to different kinds of fungi. 

 Boleti were in special favour, and truffles next in 

 esteem. One writer declares that the former were so 

 exquisite that it was not safe to send them anywhere 

 by messenger, for he would be sure to eat them by 

 the way. You might send silver and gold, but not 

 boleti. 



Argentum atque aurum facile est, laenamque togamque, 

 Mittere : boletos mittere difficile est. 



We read that special vessels {boletaria) were used in 

 which to cook the "boleti." Martial represents one 

 of these as complaining of a degraded use to which it 

 had been applied. It was designed for cooking 

 mushrooms. Alas ! it now cooked cabbage sprouts. 

 How often has it been stated, and repeated, that a 

 dish of boleti concealed the poison which Locusta 

 administered to Claudius } These boleti were not the 

 same as now called by that name, but agarics, of 



