Studies and Illustrations of Mushrooms: I. 5 



Botanists do not usually recognize any distinction between mushrooms 

 and toadstools. Either name may be applied indiscriminately to any 

 member of the group ; that is, the terms are synonymous, except that in 

 some cases the term mushroom is applied to the species of commerce, 

 and which also grows in the feral state, while the term toadstool is 

 apphed to all others whether edible or not. The safest way is to learn 

 to recognize certain species even though the number be few. 



So much has been written in recent years upon the value of the 

 'edible mushrooms for food and the profusion in which they sometimes 

 occur, that there is a growing desire on the part of many people to 

 avail themselves of this article of wholesome diet. But warned by the 

 difficulties which beset the ordinary fungus hunter in determining the 

 species ot these plants which are to be found, as well as by the crop 

 of fatalities recurring every season, brought forth through a mistaken 

 mushroom identity, many are deterred from making use of the quanti- 

 ties of nourishing and inexpensive food growing within easy reach. 

 When one has trained himself to recognize one or more of the com- 

 mon edible species with certainty, they can be collected and eaten 

 with safety. But until this can be done it is well to give all a " wide 

 berth," unless there is some person for " referee " whom we know to 

 possess either the technical knowledge necessary for discrimination, or 

 who with no technical knowledge but with long personal acquaintance 

 with the species, knows it just as we come to know some other natural 

 objects by careful observation. It should not be understood, how- 

 ever, that all who profess to be connoisseurs in the art of recognizing 

 " toadstools " as poisonous rightly judge all the species they list among 

 their acquaintances. 



The publication in a single bulletin of careful descriptions of but a 

 few species, with several illustrations representing the important char- 

 acters and the several aspects, which the plants assume at different 

 stages of growth, it is believed will encourage a careful study, or 

 observation of these few, so that they will become familiar to one and 

 easy to detect. These few facts being assimilated and the beginner 

 having become measurably familiar with a few forms, another pamph- 

 let devoted to a few additional species can follow with profit. 



In this bulletin only three of these fleshy fungi are illustrated and 

 described. Two ot chese are edible and are very common during 

 August and the autumn months in lawns, pastures, and similar open 



