﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  1 
  1 
  .') 
  

  

  occasionally 
  nearly 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  the 
  fist, 
  and 
  which 
  are 
  

   found 
  buried 
  beneath 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  (PI. 
  20, 
  fig. 
  1). 
  

   The 
  ordinary 
  method 
  of 
  searching 
  for 
  mushrooms 
  will 
  

   not 
  succeed 
  in 
  this 
  instance, 
  and, 
  therefore, 
  dogs 
  are 
  

   trained 
  to 
  hunt 
  for 
  truffles 
  

   by 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  their 
  peculiar 
  

   odour, 
  which 
  makes 
  itself 
  evi- 
  

   dent 
  to 
  the 
  acute 
  canine 
  sense 
  

   of 
  smell. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  con- 
  

   tinental 
  countries 
  of 
  Europe 
  

   where 
  these 
  fungi 
  are 
  found, 
  

   pigs 
  are 
  employed 
  as 
  hunters. 
  Fi 
  ff- 
  '■ 
  

  

  Krombholz 
  gives 
  the 
  following 
  instructions 
  for 
  the 
  

   benefit 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  would 
  undertake 
  the 
  search 
  : 
  — 
  

   " 
  You 
  must 
  have 
  a 
  sow, 
  of 
  five 
  months 
  old, 
  a 
  good 
  

   walker, 
  with 
  her 
  mouth 
  strapped 
  up, 
  and 
  for 
  her 
  efforts 
  

   recompense 
  her 
  with 
  acorns 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  pigs 
  are 
  not 
  easily 
  

   led, 
  are 
  stubborn, 
  and 
  go 
  astray, 
  and 
  dig 
  after 
  a 
  thou- 
  

   sand 
  other 
  things, 
  there 
  is 
  but 
  little 
  to 
  be 
  done 
  with 
  

   them. 
  Dogs 
  are 
  better; 
  of 
  these 
  select 
  a 
  small 
  poodle." 
  

   The 
  truffle 
  most 
  commonly 
  obtained 
  in 
  Britain 
  is 
  

   Tuber 
  ocsthum 
  (the 
  T. 
  cibarium 
  of 
  some 
  authors) 
  ; 
  

   but 
  the 
  ordinary 
  truffles 
  of 
  the 
  Parisian 
  markets 
  are 
  

   much 
  larger 
  and 
  better 
  flavoured. 
  They 
  are, 
  doubtless, 
  

   more 
  common 
  in 
  chalky 
  districts 
  than 
  has 
  been 
  sup- 
  

   posed. 
  Our 
  native 
  supplies 
  are 
  obtained 
  chiefly 
  from 
  

   the 
  downs 
  of 
  Wiltshire, 
  Hampshire, 
  and 
  Kent. 
  From 
  

   the 
  Continent 
  we 
  import 
  them 
  sliced 
  and 
  dried 
  ; 
  but 
  is 
  

   this 
  condition 
  one 
  can 
  have 
  but 
  a 
  faint 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  true 
  

   truffle 
  flavour, 
  to 
  appreciate 
  which 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  cooked 
  

  

  i 
  

  

  