Kt'SK HOTITUS JAMAICENSI3. #3i 



VIT. PEZIZA. 

 Cp.S, CITaR. Fungus bcll-sirapcd, concealing lens-shaped, seed-bearing, bodies.-' 

 Suartz gives two species as natives of Jamaica. 



1. NIGUESCliNS, BLACK. 



-Globosc-campanulatc, oblique, within smooth black, without roiigb-h.iiry ; 

 margin entire. 



2. FLAVA. YF.LLOVr. 



Globose-cahipaimlate, oblique, within pubescent, without smooth ; on lioih 

 sides j-ellow ; margin entire. 



3. LFNTIFF.RA. 



Open, small, cone-like ; capsules compressed, black. Bro~u.'nf, p. 73.-- 

 Cj/athia. 



Browne calls this the smaller smooth cyathia, with black compressed shining capsules. 



4. AURICOJ.A. EAR-LIKE. 



Concave, Wiinkled, ear-shaped, brown. 



This is the y"M5'i' voxious priiiii/x, vcl membranaccus auriculavi refercns, Kc. of 

 Sloane, v. 1, p. 65, to be found on trees ; he could observe uo difference between it 

 Aind the European plant. 



Many of the mushrooms are cultivated in Europe as a delicious food, and those of the 

 species of ff^ar/cMS' are though best, though others have been found poisonous. Bar- 

 iiam and Sioane notice a kin<l, fungi, albi venenativiscidi, growing commonly with the 

 inoftensive sort, and so much resembling it, that they are not casiiv distinguished ; 

 Barham describes the symptoms to he, "that, soon after thev arc eaten, a hiccough 

 i^eizes the patient, then a cold or chilliness all over the i)ody, attended with tremblings, 

 and, at last, convulsions and death ; he recommends the antidoie cocoon, and the 

 jaborand (piper rcticulatinnj, described under the article pepper trees, as antidotes to 

 this poison. The most vcnemous sort, he adds, is one that rises out of the ground 

 about six inches high, rounding, and hollow like a bladder, as red as scarlet, full 

 of holes like line wrought net-work; which is most probablj- the clathnis cancel- 

 latiis. The following simple and easy method is recommended for trying the quality 

 of mushrooms : Take an onion, and strip the outer skin, and boil it with them ; if the 

 onion become blue or black, there are certainly dangerous ones among them ; if it re- 

 niains white they are good. Where the symptoms of poison have alreatly taken place, 

 ihe Medical Assistant recommends an emetic, drinking plentifully of warm water, and, 

 when the contents of the stomach are brought off, to have recourse to strong cordials, 

 such as ginger-tea and brandy, with laudanum ; or Cayenne pepper made into pills. 



MUSK MELON. CUCUMIS. 



Cl. 21, on. 10 Monoeciii syugcncsia. Nat. pR. Cucurhitacccf. 

 Gen. cuaU. See Cucumber, /;. 2 J3. 



Y y y 2 wel. 



