BUFF CAPS AND IVORY CAPS. I 35 



SO that there is nothing with which it could be 

 confounded. 



There is a rather larger species in woods, with a 

 longer stem {HygropJiorus eburneiis) which is also 

 edible. It is pure white, and rather slimy, the cap is 

 convex, two or three inches broad, and shining when 

 dry. The stem is twice as long as the diameter of 

 the cap, with the upper part sprinkled with minute 

 point like scales, the gills reach the stem but are not 

 continued down it. The specimens are scattered, but 

 by no means uncommon. We could never detect any 

 odour, although there is a similar species, with a 

 brownish tint in the centre of the cap, which possesses 

 a strong, unpleasant odour like that of the larv^ of the 

 goat moth. As far as their esculent properties 

 are concerned we do not recognise any difference 

 between the woodland and the pasture species. The 

 strong smelling species we have never been tempted 

 to eat ; it probably is quite harmless, but has no 

 reputation as an esculent species, still we have no 

 fondness for original research where the stomach is 

 the test. 



The Hygrophori have hitherto hardly received the 

 justice which is due to them as articles of food. One 

 advantage they certainly possess which should not be 

 overlooked, and that is their general innocence of 

 harm. We cannot indicate a single species which is 

 positively known to be poisonous, although suspicions 

 have always hovered about two species common 



