40 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



closely pressed to the flesh. It cannot by any means 

 be termed attractive, especially as it turns darker, and 

 lurid, wherever pressed or bruised, and when cut or 

 broken becomes of a dull blood-red. We have 

 seldom seen it exceed four or five inches in diameter, 

 and often less. The stem is generally a little swollen 

 at the base, and of a dirty light brown colour, as 

 well as the large pendulous ring. The gills are at 

 first flesh-coloured, with a rosy tinge, but at length 

 become of a dark purple umber, scarcely difl"erent 

 from that of the common mushroom. We have no 

 knowledge of any species with which this could 

 possibly be confounded, if the change of colour to 

 lurid red when cut or bruised is borne in mind. It is 

 true that there are others with a tinge of red on the 

 stem, but none in which it takes the appearance of 

 bleeding when wounded. It may be taken for 

 granted that this also is a rare species, or at any rate 

 a sporadic and local one, and if it were not so re- 

 markable, and such excellent eating, would scarcely 

 warrant a notice. 



Nothing can be added of methods of preparing 

 this species for the table at all different from 

 those in vogue for the common mushroom. We 

 do not recognize anything peculiar in its flavour, 

 which could distinguish it from the mushroom. 

 It is not so juicy or delicate flavoured as the scaly 

 brown mushroom, but, for all that, it is entirely of the 

 mushroom type, and even a connoisseur would fail to 



