﻿80 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  bers 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  possess. 
  During 
  decomposition 
  this 
  

   plant 
  emits 
  a 
  bright 
  phosphorescent 
  light, 
  a 
  feature 
  not 
  

   common 
  in 
  our 
  native 
  fungi, 
  and 
  which 
  makes 
  this 
  an 
  

   object 
  of 
  curiosity, 
  although 
  we 
  need 
  scarcely 
  add 
  that 
  

   it 
  is 
  entirely 
  unfit 
  for 
  food. 
  

  

  The 
  dry-rot 
  of 
  oak-built 
  vessels 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  belonging 
  

   to 
  this 
  genus 
  (P. 
  hybndus), 
  whilst 
  the 
  common 
  dry-rot 
  

   of 
  fir 
  timber 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  Merulius. 
  

  

  A 
  curious 
  leathery 
  substance, 
  known 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  

   of 
  A 
  madou, 
  or 
  German 
  tinder, 
  found 
  in 
  tobacconists' 
  

   shops, 
  occasionally 
  in 
  sheets, 
  or 
  irregularly-shaped 
  pieces, 
  

   but 
  more 
  commonly 
  manufactured 
  into 
  fusees, 
  gives 
  but 
  

   little 
  external 
  evidence 
  of 
  its 
  fungoid 
  origin. 
  This 
  sub- 
  

   stance 
  is 
  obtained 
  from 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  Polyporus, 
  

   and 
  consists 
  of 
  slices 
  of 
  these 
  hard 
  and 
  corky 
  Fungi, 
  

   beaten 
  out 
  till 
  they 
  have 
  become 
  quite 
  soft 
  and 
  flexible, 
  

   then 
  saturated 
  in 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  saltpetre 
  and 
  dried. 
  At 
  

   one 
  time 
  it 
  was 
  rather 
  extensively 
  employed 
  in 
  medical 
  

   practice 
  as 
  a 
  styptic, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  seldom 
  resorted 
  to 
  in 
  

   England. 
  On 
  the 
  Continent 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  

   commerce, 
  and 
  in 
  Northern 
  Europe, 
  the 
  smoker 
  would 
  

   almost 
  as 
  soon 
  think 
  of 
  venturing 
  abroad 
  without 
  his 
  

   tobacco 
  and 
  pipe 
  as 
  without 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  Amadou 
  to 
  

   rekindle 
  his 
  extinguished 
  fire. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  

   usually 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  this 
  article 
  is 
  

   P. 
  fomentarim, 
  a 
  stemless 
  species 
  common 
  on 
  the 
  

   trunks 
  of 
  fcr< 
  es. 
  

  

  Trametea 
  and 
  Dwdalea 
  arc 
  genera 
  containing 
  no 
  

   BpecieB 
  of 
  economic 
  value. 
  The 
  latter 
  includes 
  a 
  

   fungus 
  which, 
  from 
  its 
  corky, 
  rugged 
  nature 
  and 
  

  

  