﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  81 
  

  

  for, 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  affirmed 
  to 
  be 
  eaten 
  largely 
  under 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  Hallimasch 
  in 
  Vienna, 
  and 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  it 
  

   in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  that 
  city 
  in 
  enormous 
  quantities, 
  and 
  

   one 
  author 
  compares 
  its 
  flavour 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  lamb, 
  and 
  

   recommends 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  eaten 
  as 
  an 
  ingredient 
  in 
  stews, 
  — 
  

   Dr. 
  Badham 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  nauseous 
  and 
  disagreeable, 
  and 
  

   some 
  others, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  economically 
  valueless. 
  It 
  

   must 
  be 
  confessed 
  that 
  the 
  odour 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  least 
  

   disagreeable, 
  but 
  rather 
  inviting, 
  whilst 
  the 
  taste 
  is 
  

   slightly 
  acrid 
  when 
  raw, 
  and 
  pleasant 
  enough, 
  though 
  

   deficient 
  in 
  aroma, 
  when 
  cooked. 
  

  

  A 
  larger 
  group 
  succeeds 
  that 
  to 
  which 
  we 
  have 
  now 
  

   alluded, 
  bearing 
  the 
  sub-generic 
  name 
  of 
  Tricholoma. 
  

   The 
  characters 
  in 
  this 
  group 
  are 
  pretty 
  distinct, 
  and 
  the 
  

   species 
  often 
  large 
  and 
  imposing. 
  The 
  veil 
  is 
  absent 
  

   or 
  nearly 
  so, 
  or, 
  if 
  present, 
  is 
  very 
  fugitive, 
  and 
  the 
  

   gills 
  have 
  a 
  notch 
  or 
  silus 
  behind, 
  at 
  the 
  extremity 
  

   next 
  to 
  the 
  stem. 
  It 
  is 
  extremely 
  probable 
  that 
  this 
  

   group 
  does 
  not 
  contain 
  a 
  single 
  unwholesome 
  species, 
  

   and 
  it 
  certainly 
  contains 
  several 
  with 
  very 
  fair 
  esculent 
  

   properties. 
  The 
  whole 
  of 
  these, 
  and 
  indeed 
  almost 
  

   every 
  species 
  except 
  the 
  common 
  mushroom, 
  are 
  charac- 
  

   terized 
  by 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  our 
  countrymen 
  as 
  " 
  toad- 
  

   stools 
  : 
  " 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  But 
  the 
  mandrakes, 
  and 
  toadstools, 
  and 
  docks, 
  and 
  darnels, 
  

   Rose 
  like 
  the 
  dead 
  from 
  their 
  ruin'd 
  charnels 
  ; 
  " 
  

  

  or, 
  as 
  locally 
  termed 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  counties, 
  " 
  toad- 
  

   skeps," 
  a 
  probable 
  corruption 
  of 
  "toads-cap;" 
  for 
  

   "skep" 
  is 
  there 
  held 
  and 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  synonym 
  for 
  a 
  large 
  

   basket, 
  with 
  which 
  mushrooms 
  have 
  nothing 
  in 
  common. 
  

  

  