FUNGI. 259 



Old Gerarde takes strong views on the subject of fungi, 

 and follows the rule which we may often see exemplified 

 in the present day, that the farther from truth the 

 opinions are, the more positively they are advanced. 

 " Mushrums come up about the roots of trees in grassie 

 places," says the old herbalist ; " and by land newly 

 turned in woods, where the soil is sandy, and yet dankish. 

 They grow, likewise, out of woode, foorthe from the 

 rotten bodies of trees ; but they are unprofitable, and no- 

 thing woorthe. 'Poisonous mushrums/ as Dioscorides 

 saith, " grow where old rusty iron lieth, or cotton clouts, 

 or near to serpent's dens, or rootes of trees that bring 

 foorthe deadly fruit." Divers esteem those far the best 

 that grow on mountains and hilly places ; as Horace 

 saith : — 



: The meadow mushrums are in kind the best ; 

 It is ill trusting any of the rest.' 



' Mushrums/ saith Pliny, ' grow in showers of rain ; 

 they come from the slime of trees.' " 



