128 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



declared to be "rank pi'sen," and no one would 

 undertake to help us " shuffle off this mortal coil." 

 This may be the reason why men and boys persist 

 in knocking and kicking them to atoms whenever 

 found. 



There is a tradition of olden time, in the days of 

 " flint and steel," that housewives employed the dried 

 substance of this fungus as tinder, and old Gerarde 

 remarks that " In divers parts of England, where 

 people doth dwell farre from neighbours, they carry 

 them kindled with fire, which lasteth long." In 

 allusion to some of the old customs, it is written — 



'•' The aged Puff balls shall help us to cheat 

 The dainty bees of their luscious meat ; 

 While others shall turn to give us light. 

 And scare from our dell the dreary night." 



The giant puff ball is sometimes not larger than a 

 moderately sized turnip, but it is not uncommonly 

 " as big as a man's head." We have met with them 

 a foot in diameter, but never so large as a recumbent 

 sheep, as narrated of one in America. 



Professor Bessey says it was of an oval outline, and 

 measured five feet four in its longest diameter, and 

 four feet six inches in its smallest diameter, whilst its 

 height was but nine and a half inches. Professor 

 Call says of it that it was much larger than the 

 largest washtub we have at home. Only imagine a 

 slice from such a puff ball fried for breakfast — only a 



