ON SOME COMMON SPECIES OF EATABLE MUSHROOMS. 51 



The Pazil (119). This is one of the commoneat of all mush- 

 rooms. It is large, substantial, and -wholesome, therefore it merited 

 insertion here. But like the Stump-tuft, it requires treatment 

 before cooking to make it nice. It is tough and of poor flavour. 

 Yet these two kinds are so plenteous, substantial, and nutritive, 

 that they ought to be advocated. Poor peasants on the Continent 

 make large use of them. The Paxil has a mottled clay-brown cap, 

 the margin strongly involute ; the gills are whitey-hitff, crowded, 

 branched, and decurrent ; the substance of the pileus and the short 

 stem is homogeneous, pale buff, and dry ; all parts turn rusty ivherever 

 wounded. 



The Inkcaps (82-85). These are mushrooms inhabiting rank 

 places, dunghills, etc. They are distinguished by white conical caps, 

 and gills black and liquefying. The Inkcap (82), and The Maned 

 Inkcap (83) are the best. When young, before the gills are more 

 than brown, they make a nice dish, but need a very short time on 

 the fire. Their ketchup is worthless. 



The Oyster (55). A species growing chiefly on the trunks of 

 ash, apple, and laburnum trees. It looks not unlike a bunch of 

 oyster-shells hanging on the tree. Many plants grow in an over- 

 lapping cluster. Colour above is grey bialf. The gills are white, 

 and very decurrent on the short stems. There are several allied 

 species described in the catalogue, which are equally wholesome 

 and palatable eating. Only the young plants should be taken from 

 a cluster. The older ones are tough. If we remark the white 

 decurrent gills, there is no chance of mistaking anything else for 

 the Oyster and its congeners ; and they make an excellent dish if 

 prepared as is elsewhere directed. 



The Virgin (99), The Ivorine (95), and The Snowdrop (96). 

 These three species of small white Hygrophores appear very often 

 on lawns in autumn, as well as elsewhere. They are very reliable, 

 and, if in sufficient quantity, make excellent dishes. The first is 

 satiny-white, the second larger and ivory-white, the third very 

 small and snow-white. All are distinguished by the irregular 

 hood-shape peculiar to Hygrophores ; the waxy, hygrophanous sub- 

 stance ; and the few, distant, decurrent gills. If once tried, the 

 experiment will be repeated. To be dressed like Oreads. 



The Redmilk (101). Wherever there are plantations of fir or 

 pine this species may be looked for in the grass about them. It is 

 a large salmon-red mushroom, of thick and substantial appearance. 

 Its distinctive character is that, when wounded, a bright orange-red 



