﻿u* 
  miirisii 
  fvmii. 
  53 
  

  

  The 
  genus 
  ftnfhifii/* 
  is 
  small 
  "ml 
  unimportant, 
  but 
  

   that 
  of 
  Cortinarim, 
  which 
  succeeds 
  it, 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  

   so 
  speedily 
  dismissed. 
  In 
  this 
  genus, 
  while 
  the 
  gills 
  

   are 
  membranaceous 
  as 
  in 
  Coprinus, 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  deli- 
  

   quesce, 
  or 
  melt 
  away. 
  The 
  veil 
  consists 
  of 
  threads 
  of 
  an 
  

   arachnoid, 
  or 
  spider's 
  web 
  texture, 
  and 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  

   commonly 
  of 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  rust 
  of 
  iron. 
  This 
  genus 
  

   is 
  subdivided 
  into 
  six 
  groups, 
  founded 
  on 
  minor 
  dis- 
  

   tinctions, 
  and 
  the 
  names 
  are 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  tabular 
  

   arrangement 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  volume. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  brightest 
  and 
  most 
  beautiful 
  of 
  this, 
  or 
  

   any 
  other 
  British 
  genus, 
  not 
  only 
  commends 
  itself 
  to 
  

   our 
  notice 
  on 
  this 
  account, 
  but 
  also 
  for 
  its 
  excellence 
  

   as 
  food. 
  The 
  species 
  to 
  which 
  we 
  allude 
  (Cortinarim 
  

   violaceus) 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  woods, 
  although 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  com- 
  

   mon. 
  The 
  colour 
  is 
  a 
  beautiful 
  dark 
  violet, 
  sometimes 
  

   approaching 
  nearly 
  to 
  black, 
  with 
  a 
  coppery-red 
  gloss 
  or 
  

   shade. 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  bulbous 
  and 
  spongy, 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  

   cottony 
  substance 
  at 
  the 
  base. 
  The 
  gills 
  are 
  broad, 
  

   thick, 
  and 
  distant 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  spores 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  rusty 
  brown. 
  

   There 
  is 
  such 
  a 
  distinctness 
  about 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  

   this 
  species, 
  that 
  one 
  regrets 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  more 
  common, 
  

   especially 
  when 
  we 
  remember 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  

   taste 
  and 
  odour 
  of 
  the 
  mushroom 
  when 
  raw, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   of 
  "a 
  particularly 
  rich 
  flavour 
  when 
  cooked." 
  M. 
  

   Roques 
  states 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  eaten 
  it, 
  and 
  docs 
  not 
  hesitat 
  

   to 
  include 
  it 
  amongst 
  those 
  of 
  good 
  quality. 
  

  

  The 
  Matron 
  of 
  the 
  French, 
  and 
  Cortinarim 
  casta- 
  

   neiLs 
  of 
  botanists, 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  small 
  species, 
  deriving 
  both 
  

   its 
  French 
  and 
  its 
  scientific 
  name 
  from 
  its 
  chestnut 
  

  

  