THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



27 



AGARICUS PROCERAS. 

 A very common mushroom that has 

 been eaten since the days of the Romans 

 is the Parasol Ag:aric, Agaricus procerus. 

 It is sometimes called the shaggy mush- 

 room, for its parasol top is covered with 

 scales. One author says of it; " When- 

 ever a large parasol shaped mushroom is 

 found with white gills, a long spotted 

 stem, swollen at the base, with a ring 

 that will slip up and down, it must be 

 the parasol mushroom, and it can be 

 eaten with perfect safety." 



There is a general saying that all fungi 

 which have a milky juice are poisonous, 

 but there is at least one, Ladarius deli- 

 ciosus, or the golden milk fungus, that is 

 very good to eat. The milk flows out of 

 the gills when they are bruised, and as 

 far as looks go it certainly appears poi- 

 sonous, for it is an orange or red liquid 

 which turns greenish on exposure to the 

 air. 



There is a mushroom very similar in 

 size and shape that gives an innocent 

 white milk, but it is poisonous. 



So also is the fiery milk mushroom, 

 which is white or cream colored and 

 very appetizing to look upon. But its 

 taste is biting, and a little nibble of it 

 has the effect of biting and searing the 

 tongue like a hot iron. Some writers say 

 that this species is eaten in Russia and 

 other countries, and that pickling it takes 

 away the bitterness. However that may 

 be, it is known that cows will eat it 

 eagerly, but it makes their milk bitter 

 and very disagreeable to the taste. 



Another group of the Agaric or mush- 

 room family that contains edible as well 

 as non-edible species, is the Riissjcla 

 group. The beautiful pale rose mush- 

 room with a cap that deepens to red, and 

 pure white gills, belongs to this group. 

 But in spite of its attractive color and its 

 neat clean look, it is well to leave it 

 alone, for it is Russula emetica, and al- 



although I cannot promise that if you eat 

 of it you would surely die, yet I can as- 

 sure you that it is well named, for a 

 meal of it would act as an excellent 

 emetic. 



Another Russula that is very beautiful 

 but not so attractive from its green, 

 warty appearance, is Russjila virescence^ 

 the Verdette mushroom. It is not very 

 well known here, and its green color 

 causes a feeling of prejudice, but in some 

 parts of the continent it is a great favor- 

 ite. They say the peasants in the neigh- 

 borhood of Milan are in the habit of 

 toasting it over wood embers and eating 

 it with a little salt. 



There is no doubt whatever about the 

 excellent qualities of the very common 

 and very variable Ru.ssula that grows in 

 our woods, called Russula heterophylia. 

 It is pure white on the gills and has no 

 ring or bulb, and its cap may be either 

 greenish or gray with a little purple in it 

 or yellowish brown. To know it you 

 must see it in all its hues, and to apprei 

 ciate its delicious nutty flavor it must 

 be fried in sweet butter and eaten hot as 

 a relish. 



I have found it in Bronx Park, in Long 

 Island and in the woods of Connecticut. 

 It is by no means rare, neither is it very 

 common, but it has ' such a delicious 

 flavor that it is worth while learning it 

 under its many disguises of color, and 

 searching for it, every time one takes a 

 walk through the woods. 



COPRINUS COMATUS 



Is an edible mushroom, quite different 

 from that have been described before. It 

 is called the "maned mushroom," and it 

 is used by the English for catsup, as it 

 has a rich juice, but it is only within the 

 last few years that it has been recognized 

 as an edible in this country. It has a 

 suspicious look when it begins to grow 

 old, for it becomes quite black around its 

 lower edges. It never should be eaten 



