umn. It is not plentiful here and I have never eaten it, but a 

 correspondent who has been more fortunate in finding it pro- 

 nounces it "very good eating." 



The Wood mushroom, or Silvan mushroom, Agaricus silvati- 

 cus, is also a scarce species with us. It is similar in size 

 and shape to the Flat cap mushroom, but it is of a more brownish 

 color, with the cap more prominent in the centre, and adorned 

 merely with fibrils or with a few obscure scales, which at length 

 disappear. Its gills also are pinkish at first, and then blackish- 

 brown as in the other species. 



It occurs in summer and autumn in woods as its name in- 

 dicates, but it is neither frequent nor abundant, and of but little 

 importance as an edible species. 



The term "Brown mushrooms" has been applied indiscrimi- 

 nately by one writer to such species as the Bleeding mushroom, 

 the Flat-cap mushroom and the Silvan mushroom. 



VIII. PURPLISII-BKOWN AND BLACK SPOKES. 



The genus Hypholoma differs from Agaricus in having the 



gills attached or grown fast to 

 the stem at their inner ex- 

 tremity and in having a stem 

 destitute of a collar. Its spe- 

 cies have not, previous to this 

 time, been regarded as edible. 

 But one of my correspondents 

 has eaten freely and repeated- 

 ly of the Perplexing mush- 

 room, H. perplexum, and he 

 reports it has no bad taste 

 and produces no ill effects, 

 and on the strength of this it 

 is here admitted among the 

 edible species. 



It usually grows in clusters 

 of few or many individuals, 



Hypholoma perplexum, slightly reduced. On Or about StUmpS, Or at the 



base of trees in woods or in 

 open places. It is found in autumn. The cap is from one to- 



