﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  57 
  

  

  the 
  censure 
  of 
  some 
  who 
  perhaps 
  have 
  never 
  tasted 
  them. 
  

   In 
  France 
  they 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  held 
  in 
  but 
  little 
  repute, 
  

   although 
  in 
  other 
  continental 
  countries 
  they 
  are 
  sought 
  

   after 
  and 
  esteemed. 
  In 
  Austria, 
  for 
  example, 
  they 
  are 
  

   considered 
  equal 
  to 
  any 
  that 
  are 
  brought 
  to 
  table. 
  

  

  One 
  would 
  imagine 
  from 
  the 
  name 
  {Lactarius 
  

   deliciosus) 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  reddish 
  orange 
  fungus 
  found 
  

   in 
  almost 
  every 
  fir 
  plantation, 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  

   treasure 
  to 
  an 
  epicure 
  ; 
  and 
  so 
  indeed 
  it 
  is, 
  if 
  the 
  testi- 
  

   mony 
  of 
  Sir 
  J. 
  Smith 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  received, 
  that 
  "it 
  

   really 
  deserves 
  its 
  name, 
  being 
  the 
  most 
  delicious 
  mush- 
  

   room 
  known." 
  A 
  gentleman 
  of 
  our 
  acquaintance 
  says 
  

   that 
  whenever 
  he 
  finds 
  them 
  he 
  considers 
  himself 
  

   possessed 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  treat 
  which 
  the 
  fungoid 
  

   world 
  has 
  to 
  offer 
  ; 
  but 
  that, 
  having 
  made 
  their 
  virtues 
  

   known 
  to 
  his 
  neighbours, 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  but 
  seldom 
  that 
  he 
  

   has 
  the 
  good 
  fortune 
  to 
  enjoy 
  them. 
  (PI. 
  12, 
  lower 
  

   figure.) 
  

  

  The 
  pileus 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  fleshy, 
  and 
  depressed 
  in 
  

   the 
  centre, 
  of 
  a 
  reddish 
  orange, 
  with 
  zones 
  or 
  rino-s 
  of 
  a 
  

   darker 
  colour 
  ; 
  the 
  stem 
  and 
  gills 
  are 
  also 
  of 
  an 
  orano-e 
  

   colour. 
  The 
  milk 
  which 
  it 
  contains 
  is 
  at 
  first 
  of 
  a 
  deep 
  

   yellow, 
  but 
  upon 
  exposure 
  turns 
  to 
  a 
  dull 
  green 
  : 
  when 
  

   raw, 
  the 
  taste 
  is 
  slightly 
  acrid. 
  In 
  some 
  seasons 
  and 
  in 
  

   some 
  localities 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  common, 
  especially 
  in 
  

   the 
  fir 
  plantations 
  of 
  Scotland 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  characters 
  are 
  

   so 
  distinct 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  fear 
  of 
  mistaking 
  any 
  other 
  

   species 
  for 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  other 
  esculent 
  species 
  {Lactarius 
  tolemum) 
  is 
  

   not 
  common. 
  When 
  found, 
  it 
  generally 
  occurs 
  in 
  woods, 
  

  

  