CRYPTOGAMIA. 45 



or growing oh a tree,, fully equal in guilt to the slayers 

 of Brahmens, and the most despicable of all deadly 

 sinners." 



The Fungus, joined to the Morel, in the same 

 plate, is die Agaricus semi-ova tus, introduced only to 

 illustrate Linnaeus's seventh kind of Calyx. The dif- 

 ferent species of Mushrooms, of which Agaricus is the 

 botanical name, are so vaguely ascertained, that while 

 Linnaeus makes only 2J species, Micheli makes &J4, 

 Haller 134, and Withering 213. 



Formerly there was a great diversity of opinion, 

 whether the Fungi were of an animal or a vegetable 

 nature. Their animal scent, when burnt, and their 

 growing and continuing healthy without light, in 

 opposition to the general law of vegetables, inclined 

 some to think that they could not be considered as 

 plants: they are now, however, received as such, 

 though their ceconomy and their mode of reproduc- 

 tion are yet unknown. 



Fungi in general are supposed to be poisonous, 

 but in Italy all kinds are ate with but little discrimi- 

 nation, without producing any ill effects, which I 

 suspect to be owing to the great quantity of oil the 

 Italians use.in their cookery. One of the most extraordi- 

 nary, as well as most esteemed of these productions 

 are Truffles 5 Licoperdon tuber, which are tu- 

 berous roots, without stem or fibre, of a dark brown 



c Sir Wm. Jones, 4 to. edit vol.2, p. 117. 



