﻿28 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  dance 
  of 
  justice 
  to 
  this 
  numerous 
  alliance 
  of 
  plants. 
  

   It 
  is 
  true 
  also 
  that 
  the 
  odour 
  and 
  appearance 
  of 
  

   some 
  species 
  are 
  repulsive 
  enough 
  to 
  have 
  warranted 
  

   their 
  association 
  with 
  that 
  despised 
  reptile 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  said 
  to 
  carry 
  a 
  jewel 
  in 
  its 
  head, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  con- 
  

   temptuous 
  epithet 
  the 
  toadstool 
  has 
  been 
  trodden 
  under 
  

   foot 
  without 
  even 
  a 
  suspicion 
  of 
  its 
  use, 
  except 
  as 
  a 
  

   throne 
  for 
  a 
  toad. 
  

  

  Instead 
  of 
  the 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  species 
  which 
  appear 
  in 
  

   our 
  markets 
  in 
  the 
  autumn, 
  there 
  are 
  upwards 
  of 
  fifty 
  

   which 
  might 
  be 
  easily 
  discriminated 
  from 
  the 
  noxious 
  

   kinds, 
  and 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  fully 
  equal, 
  and 
  

   some 
  perhaps 
  superior, 
  to 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  kinds 
  popularly 
  

   considered 
  esculent. 
  

  

  Foremost 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Aqaricus 
  stands 
  a 
  group 
  

   naturally 
  associated 
  together 
  under 
  the 
  sub-generic 
  

   name 
  of 
  Lepiota, 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  scaly 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  pileus 
  (lepis, 
  Lat. 
  a 
  scale). 
  The 
  

   hymenophorum, 
  or 
  part 
  which 
  bears 
  the 
  gills, 
  is 
  distinct 
  

   from 
  the 
  stem, 
  and 
  the 
  veil 
  breaks 
  up 
  into 
  scales 
  on 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  pileus 
  or 
  cap. 
  The 
  gills 
  differ 
  from 
  

   those 
  in 
  the 
  succeeding 
  sub-genus 
  in 
  being 
  nearly 
  or 
  

   entirely 
  free. 
  

  

  Occasionally, 
  a 
  very 
  suspicious-looking 
  fungus, 
  Aga- 
  

   ricus 
  procerus, 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  this 
  sub-genus, 
  is 
  found 
  

   exhibited 
  for 
  sale 
  in 
  Covent 
  Garden 
  Market, 
  but 
  

   which 
  is, 
  nevertheless, 
  very 
  good 
  eating. 
  It 
  is 
  often 
  

   several 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  is 
  found 
  growing 
  in 
  

   pastures. 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  long, 
  hollow, 
  and 
  bulbous 
  at 
  

   the 
  base, 
  clad 
  with 
  closely 
  -pressed 
  scales. 
  The 
  pileus 
  

  

  