FUNGI. 



221 



fungi in their healthy and growing condition, and not 

 to a condition of decay, fermentation, or putrefaction. 

 The common stinkhorn, or Phallus, is often to 

 be met with in woods and gardens, but no one 

 attempts to condone or apologize for its odour ; and, 

 as to its character, there is no variation of 

 opinion as to its intensity or disagreeable 

 quality. No one, that we are aware, has 

 attempted to describe the odour, except 

 to characterize it as " extremely fetid and 

 disagreeable." When found growing in a 

 wood this odour can be detected at some 

 distance, and long before the object can be 

 seen, although when diluted by the stir- 

 rounding air it is not so repulsive as when 

 in close contact. We remember, some 

 years ago, whilst on a botanical excursion 

 with a friend, we discovered a fine Phallus, 

 which had not fully acquired all its in- fig. sg.-stink- 



. 1 /- horn, reduced. 



tensity of fragrance, and, as it was the first 

 time our friend had seen this object, he was anxious 

 to convey it home, and make its better acquaintance. 

 All his sandwiches having been eaten, he resolved to 

 employ his sandwich-box as a vasculum, chiefly in 

 order to preserve it from crushing. Thus entombed, 

 it was conveyed to his pocket, and we thought no 

 more of it until some time after, when we were safely 

 esconced in the train on our way home. Shut up in 

 a close compartment we soon became conscious that 

 some of our fellow-travellers were evidently dis- 

 concerted, and cast inquiring eyes in all directions, 

 some were even directed under the seats, in order to 



