CHAPTER YII. 



Om some Common Species of Eatable McsHrvOOMS. 



The purport of the present cliaptcr is to bring into prominent 

 notice such of our esculent Fungi as are really best suited to 

 become popular articles of food. In a succeeding chapter will be 

 found an exhaustive catalogue of British Edible Fungi. But in 

 that list, which comprises two hundred and odd species, thei-e are 

 a number which could scarcely become popular, for one or other 

 of the following reasons. Some are not easy to identify ; others 

 are of rare occurrence, or seldom appear in any quantity. 

 Some are small ; others not particularly pleasing to the palate. 

 Some can only be used for the special flavours they will impart 

 to soups or meat dishes ; others require to be boiled, or otherwise 

 prepared, to render them nice, wholesome, and fit to cook — and 

 Bo forth. So we see that the principle of Discrimination must be 

 employed even among esculent mushrooms. 



The species now to be shortly adverted to are peculiarly com- 

 mendable on several grounds. For example : each of them can 

 bo readily identified, possessing distinctive characteristics of 

 feature, and, once known, could be sought for and gathered by the 

 merest child, witliout fear of mistakes being made. Each of them 

 i!4 of common occurrence, and grows plentifully. Each of them is 

 j)erfcctly wholesome, and, if properly dressed, will afford a repast 

 both palatable and nourishing. Furthermore, nearly all of these 

 species have been taken into favour by English fungus-eaters, 

 from Dr. Badham and !Mrs. Hussey down to the present day ; and 

 of each and all of them the autlior has liad considerable personal 

 experience, gaKtronomically. 



The Hpocies liere mentioned are spoken of by English titles that 

 have been coined for them respectively. The bracketed numbers 

 refer to those in the catalogue, wliere each species is minutely 

 deacribcd. Tlioy must be identified in llie fii'st place by those 

 doscriptione ; but some hints are added hero as to the points in 



