﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  27 
  

  

  Whoever 
  has 
  read 
  Dr. 
  Badham's 
  " 
  Esculent 
  Fun- 
  

   guses 
  of 
  Great 
  Britain 
  " 
  will 
  not 
  fail 
  to 
  recognise 
  the 
  

   following 
  observations 
  : 
  — 
  " 
  I 
  have 
  this 
  autumn 
  myself 
  

   witnessed 
  w 
  r 
  hole 
  hundredweights 
  of 
  rich 
  wholesome 
  

   diet, 
  rotting 
  under 
  trees 
  : 
  woods 
  teeming 
  with 
  food, 
  and 
  

   not 
  one 
  hand 
  to 
  gather 
  it 
  ; 
  and 
  this 
  perhaps 
  in 
  the 
  

   midst 
  of 
  potato- 
  blights, 
  poverty, 
  and 
  all 
  manner 
  of 
  

   privations, 
  and 
  public 
  prayers 
  against 
  imminent 
  famine. 
  

   I 
  have, 
  indeed, 
  grieved 
  when 
  I 
  have 
  considered 
  the 
  

   straitened 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  orders 
  this 
  year, 
  to 
  see 
  

   pounds 
  innumerable 
  of 
  extempore 
  beefsteaks 
  growing 
  

   on 
  our 
  oaks 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  Fistulina 
  hepatica 
  ; 
  Aga- 
  

   ricus 
  fusipes, 
  to 
  pickle 
  in 
  clusters 
  under 
  them 
  ; 
  Puff- 
  

   balls, 
  which 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  friends 
  have 
  not 
  inaptly 
  

   compared 
  to 
  sweetbread, 
  for 
  the 
  rich 
  delicacy 
  of 
  their 
  

   unassisted 
  flavour 
  ; 
  Hydna, 
  as 
  good 
  as 
  oysters, 
  which 
  

   they 
  somewhat 
  resemble 
  in 
  taste 
  ; 
  Agaricus 
  deliciosus, 
  

   reminding 
  us 
  of 
  tender 
  lamb 
  kidney 
  ; 
  the 
  beautiful 
  

   Yellow 
  Chantarelle, 
  that 
  Kalon 
  Kayathon 
  of 
  diet, 
  grow- 
  

   ing 
  by 
  the 
  bushel, 
  and 
  no 
  basket 
  but 
  our 
  own 
  to 
  pick 
  

   up 
  a 
  few 
  specimens 
  in 
  our 
  way 
  ; 
  the 
  sweet 
  nutty 
  Bole- 
  

   tus, 
  in 
  vain 
  calling 
  himself 
  edulis, 
  where 
  there 
  was 
  none 
  

   to 
  believe 
  him 
  ; 
  the 
  dainty 
  Orcella, 
  the 
  Agaricus 
  

   heterophyllus, 
  which 
  tastes 
  like 
  the 
  craw-fish 
  when 
  

   grilled 
  ; 
  the 
  red 
  and 
  green 
  species 
  of 
  Agaricus 
  to 
  cook 
  

   in 
  any 
  way, 
  and 
  equally 
  good 
  in 
  all." 
  The 
  faithful 
  

   remembrance 
  and 
  wholesome 
  dread 
  of 
  poison 
  lurking 
  

   beneath 
  the 
  cap 
  of 
  fungi, 
  which 
  have 
  filled 
  up 
  pages 
  

   in 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  past, 
  mixed 
  up 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  romance 
  

   and 
  superstition, 
  have 
  combined 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  accor- 
  

  

  