MUSHROOMS 



tells of taking a large bunch of Amanitse to an artist 

 friend. He carried them in his hand and, though 

 wrapped in a paper, they made him feel quite ill. At 

 another time he had all the symptoms of mushroom 

 poisoning from smelling of two fine specimens sent him 

 by a friend. 



The beautiful orange mushroom is also quite com- 

 mon. It is found mostty in open woods or groves where 

 the soil is poor. The bright coloring of the cap in 

 •contrast with the white stem and gills makes it a very 

 showy plant. It is sometimes called the fly mush- 

 room. There is something about it that attracts flies, 

 but to taste its juices means death to them. Dead flies 

 are often found on the ground under it. It has been 

 used for many centuries in making fly-poisons. 



From earliest times the poisonous character of this 

 plant has been well known. The Roman emperor, 

 Claudius, was given poisonous mushrooms to eat and 

 died from the effects. 



Notwithstanding its poisonous character this mush- 

 room is eaten by people of Russia and Siberia. It is 

 thought that in those places there is something about 

 the plant that prevents it from being so poisonous as it 

 is here. Instead of killing the people, it intoxicates 

 them. 



Another poisonous Amanita is seen in the brown 

 mushroom. The gills are white, as in other members of 

 the family, but the stem is light brown. 



81 



