﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  \)1 
  

  

  " 
  We 
  have 
  a 
  delicious 
  dish 
  in 
  this 
  fungus, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  

   uncommon 
  in 
  some 
  seasons 
  in 
  these 
  parts. 
  Sliced 
  and 
  

   seasoned 
  with 
  butter 
  and 
  salt, 
  and 
  fried 
  in 
  a 
  pan, 
  no 
  

   French 
  omelette 
  is 
  half 
  so 
  good 
  in 
  richness 
  and 
  delicacy 
  

   of 
  flavour. 
  I 
  am 
  too 
  glad 
  to 
  seize 
  upon 
  them 
  when 
  I 
  can 
  

   get 
  them 
  ; 
  of 
  course, 
  in 
  the 
  soft 
  pulpy 
  state." 
  This 
  is 
  

   not 
  the 
  only 
  testimony 
  we 
  have 
  of 
  their 
  excellence. 
  

   Another 
  connoisseur 
  says, 
  " 
  The 
  puff-ball 
  makes 
  such 
  

   an 
  excellent 
  omelette, 
  and 
  is 
  so 
  much 
  better 
  than 
  any 
  

   mushroom 
  I 
  ever 
  before 
  tasted, 
  that 
  it 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  

   called 
  mushroom." 
  To 
  this 
  we 
  may 
  add 
  our 
  own 
  expe- 
  

   rience, 
  derived 
  while 
  this 
  work 
  was 
  first 
  pass'ng 
  through 
  

   the 
  press. 
  A 
  gardener 
  brought 
  us 
  a 
  large 
  puff-ball, 
  

   equal 
  in 
  size 
  to 
  a 
  half-quartern 
  loaf, 
  and 
  which 
  was 
  still 
  

   in 
  its 
  young 
  and 
  pulpy 
  state, 
  of 
  a 
  beautiful 
  creamy 
  

   whit' 
  ness 
  when 
  cut. 
  It 
  had 
  bean 
  found 
  developing 
  

   itself 
  in 
  a 
  garden 
  at 
  Highgate, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  finder 
  its 
  

   virtues 
  were 
  unknown. 
  We 
  had 
  this 
  specimen 
  cut 
  in 
  

   slices 
  of 
  about 
  half 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  tLuckm 
  iss, 
  the 
  outer 
  skin 
  

   peeled 
  off, 
  and. 
  each 
  el 
  c 
  • 
  dipped 
  in 
  an 
  pgg 
  which 
  had 
  

   been 
  beaten 
  up, 
  then 
  sprinkWd 
  with 
  bread 
  crumbs, 
  and 
  

   fried 
  in 
  butter, 
  with 
  salt 
  and 
  pepper. 
  The 
  result 
  was 
  

   exceedingly 
  satisfactory 
  ; 
  and 
  finding 
  this 
  immense 
  

   fungus 
  more 
  than 
  our 
  family 
  could 
  consume 
  whilst 
  it 
  

   remained 
  fresh, 
  we 
  invited 
  our 
  friends 
  to 
  partake, 
  

   and 
  they 
  were 
  as 
  delighted 
  as 
  ourselves 
  with 
  the 
  

   new 
  breakfast 
  relish, 
  to 
  them, 
  and 
  to 
  us 
  — 
  the 
  first, 
  

   but 
  we 
  hope 
  not 
  the 
  last, 
  experiment 
  upon 
  a 
  fried 
  

   puff-ball. 
  

  

  Hi' 
  great 
  puff-ball 
  has 
  an 
  ancient 
  reputation 
  for 
  tiie 
  

  

  