2 24 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



and then the caps may be packed close together in a 

 comparatively small space, preference always being 

 given to young, fresh looking individuals, rigidly 

 excluding all which exhibit a tendency to decay, or 

 are attacked by insects. It is of no consequence the 

 mixing of several kinds together for the purpose of 

 transit, but these should be separated afterwards, as 

 we have no sympathy with the practice of combining 

 two or three kinds together to furnish a dish for 

 the table. Each kind should be tested on its own 

 merits, and not combined into a sort of mushroom 

 Irish stew. Again, we repeat that " the fresher the 

 better " applies to all esculent fungi, and that the 

 sooner they are cooked the better. 



Neither can we omit to caution the reckless against 

 being reckless with articles of food. We have given 

 as clear a definition as we could of each species, and 

 have added figures of a large number, so that anyone, 

 with the exercise of moderate care and intelligence, 

 may with certainty determine, without risk, the species 

 we have named. If at any time there should be a 

 doubt, let the benefit be given to the doubt, and either 

 relinquish the dish or call in the assistance of some 

 one more experienced to set the doubt at rest. We do 

 not approve of experiments in fungus eating, and hence 

 we have included none which we were not perfectly sure 

 were entirely safe. It is an excellent plan to select a 

 few species at first, and learn to know them well, before 

 proceeding to others, unless the others are recom- 



