15 



OUB species, I quote from a French autbor on mushrooms the following 

 in relation to this supposed test : 



* * * We iHiiy not dispute the fact that a silver spoon or article of brass, or 

 ouious, inuy not become discolored ou coutact with the poisonous i)rinciple, but this 

 discoloration is not reliable as a test for deciding the good or bad (piality of mush- 

 rooms. In fact, we know that in the decomposition of albuminoids sulphuicted hy- 

 drogen is liberated which of itself discolors silver, brass, and onions. 



I have deemed it advisable to publish this as one of the best moans of 

 answering those correspondents who have made inquiries as to the relia- 

 bility of this test. 



It is by some supposed that high colors and viscidity are indications 

 of non-edible species, but there are numerous exceptions here. Mussula 

 alutacea — the pileus of which is often a purplish red — Amanita C(£sarea, 

 and other species of brilliant coloring are known to be edible. As to vis- 

 cidity, two very viscid species, when young, are among the highly prized 

 esculents by those who know them, viz., FlstuUna hepatica, or the ox 

 tongue, and llygrophorvs ehurneus, the ivory mushroom. 



The method of deciding the character of mushrooms by their odor and 

 flavor is not to be relied upon. Edible mushrooms are usually charac- 

 terized by a pleasant flavor and odor ; non edible varieties have sometimes 

 an unpleasant odor, and produce a biting, burning sensation on the tongue 

 and throat, even in very small quantities, but several of the Amanitas 

 have only a slight odor and taste, and certain species of mushrooms, acrid 

 otherwise, become edible when cooked. 



In fact there is no general rule by which the edible species can be dis- 

 tinguished from the unwholesome or poisonous ones. The safest as well 

 as the most sensible plan, therefore, is to apply the same rule as that 

 which we adopt in the case of the esculents among the flowering plants, 

 viz., to learn to know the characteristics of each individual species so as 

 to distinguish it from all others. 



With regard to the mushrooms which have been designated as poison- 

 ous, it should be remembered that the term " poisonous " is used relatively. 

 While some are only slightly poisonous, producing severe gastric irrita- 

 tion and nervous derangement, but without fatal results, others, if eaten 

 in even very small quantity, may cause death. Happily, however, the most 

 dangerous species are not numerous as compared with the number that 

 are edible, and with careful attention on the part of the collector thej^ 

 may be avoided. 



Since the Amanita group is made responsible by competent authority 

 for most of the recorded cases of fatal poisoning, we would recommend the 

 amateur mycophagist to give special study to this group in order to learn 

 to separate the species authentically recorded as edible from the poison- 

 ous ones. 



Some writers, as a measure of precaution, counsel the rejection of all 

 species of Amanita. But this is, of course, a matter for individual prefer- 

 ence. There would seem to be no good reason why the observant stu- 

 dent should not learn to discriminate between the edible and the poison- 



