A CATALOGUE OF BRITISH POISONOUS FUNGI. 175 



Genus HYGROPHORUS. 



(XXVIII.) HYGROPHORUS MURINACEUS ; The Mouse 

 Hood. 



Habitat. In grassy woods, parks, lawns, and pastures. In small 

 groups. 



Season. September and October. Rare. 



Pileus. Two to three inches across, mouse-grey, silky-smooth, 

 viscid in wet, squamulose at length ; campanulate, then expanded, 

 irregular, peaked and umbonate, thin. Margin rimose. 



Stem. Two to three inches high, grey, slender, twisted, un- 

 equal, squamulose, viscid, bent, naked. 



Section. Flesh white, thin, waxy. Stem fistulose. Gills whitish, 

 then glaucous, waxy, broad, distant, venate, emarginate, adnate. 

 Odour nitrous. Taste unpleasant. Spores white. 



Ohs. Poisonous according to Duchesne, Morel, and Barla. The principle 

 is probably narcotico-acrid. No other Hygrophore is certainly known to be 

 poisonous, though sundry are suspected. — W. D. H. 



Genus LACTARIUS. 



Ohs. There is some uncertainty as to which Lactars are actually impregnated 

 with a poisonous essence, and which are merely unpleasant to the palate. The 

 following are proved to be decidedly poisonous. The character of their poisons 

 appears to be nearly identical, differing only as to the degree in which it is con- 

 tained in them. Both the acridity and the poison are removable by salt and 

 vinegar, and the esculents, saving only the Redmilk and Kidney, should not 

 be eaten without such preparation as I have elsewhere prescribed for them. 

 These known poisonous Lactars are even eaten in some countries, after salting, 

 etc. See chapter ix. — W. D. H. 



(XXIX.) LACTARIUS FULIGINOSUS ; The Smoky Lactar. 



Habitat. In woods. Solitary. 



Season. August to November. Not common. 



Pileus. One to three inches across, dusky brown and grey- 

 pruinose, dry, not zoned, soft, hardly smooth ; convex, then plane, 

 depressed, round. Margin not involute, undulate. 



Stem. One to three inches high, dingy, then dusky, pruinose, 

 stout, equal, smooth, naked. 



Section. Flesh, thick, soft, white, yellowing. Stem solid, spongy. 

 Milk white, becoming saffron-yellow on exposure. Gills pale buff, 

 numerous, unequal, sub-furcate, pulverulent, sub-decurrent. Odour 

 slight. Taste mild, then acrid. Spores yellowish. 



Obs. Very poisonous. The principle is exceedingly caustic. — W. D. H. 



