﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  79 
  

  

  islands 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  both 
  of 
  them 
  peculiar 
  in 
  appearance, 
  

   from 
  being 
  broken 
  up 
  into 
  numerous 
  pilei, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   look 
  like 
  a 
  dense 
  cluster 
  of 
  separate 
  individuals. 
  

  

  P. 
  intybaceus, 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  these, 
  is 
  strongly 
  recom- 
  

   mended, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  attains 
  so 
  large 
  a 
  size 
  that 
  

   one 
  fungus 
  will 
  weigh 
  forty 
  pounds 
  and 
  suffice 
  for 
  the 
  

   meal 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  family. 
  In 
  cooking 
  this 
  species, 
  

   it 
  is 
  advisable 
  to 
  cut 
  off 
  the 
  darker 
  coloured 
  pileus, 
  

   and 
  only 
  employ 
  the 
  white 
  branching 
  stem 
  : 
  when 
  pre- 
  

   pared 
  in 
  this 
  way, 
  it 
  is 
  equal 
  to 
  any 
  Agaric 
  we 
  possess, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  testimony 
  of 
  some, 
  whilst 
  all 
  agree 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  excellent. 
  The 
  odour 
  is 
  inviting, 
  and 
  we 
  

   would 
  advise 
  any 
  who 
  may 
  meet 
  with 
  it 
  to 
  condemn 
  it 
  

   to 
  the 
  stew-pan. 
  

  

  P. 
  giganteus 
  is 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  to 
  which 
  we 
  have 
  

   alluded, 
  and 
  which, 
  with 
  P. 
  intybaceus, 
  is 
  more 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  on 
  the 
  Continent, 
  where 
  its 
  esculent 
  qualities 
  are 
  

   known 
  and 
  duly 
  appreciated. 
  Both 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  found 
  

   growing 
  on 
  the 
  trunks 
  of 
  trees, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  attain 
  

   extraordinary 
  dimensions. 
  

  

  The 
  trunks 
  of 
  trees, 
  of 
  various 
  kinds, 
  are 
  often 
  found 
  

   bearing 
  a 
  very 
  conspicuous 
  sulphur-coloured 
  fungus 
  

   {P. 
  sulphureus), 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  overlapping 
  

   pilei 
  of 
  the 
  consistence 
  of 
  a 
  mellow 
  cheese. 
  When 
  

   wounded, 
  it 
  exudes 
  copiously 
  a 
  yellow 
  juice, 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  employed 
  in 
  dyeing, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  

   it 
  is 
  of 
  any 
  great 
  value 
  for 
  such 
  a 
  purpose. 
  As 
  this 
  

   fungus 
  dries, 
  it 
  becomes 
  covered 
  with 
  beautiful 
  crystals 
  

   of 
  oxalate 
  of 
  potash, 
  which 
  might 
  suggest 
  the 
  presence 
  

   ot 
  more 
  active 
  properties 
  than 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  mem- 
  

  

  