1869.] BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY. 97 



abundance, it destroys the true delicate delicious flavour of the 

 Agaric itself, 



A side dish of stewed kidneys narrowly escaped being mistaken 

 for a dish of sliced Agarics, and another of sweetbreads with 

 buttons of the Horse Mushroom (^Agaricus arvensis) was too 

 good to travel far. Next followed a dish of beef-steak, animal 

 and vegetable, deliciously mingled, to the advantage of both, and 

 at the same time a dish of the Flstulina hepatica, the ' liver 

 fungus,' or ' vegetable beefsteak,' by itself was handed round. 

 The slices were cut from the large one gathered in the morning. 



The next Agaric to appear was Hydmmi repmidum, < the 

 spiked Mushroom,' from Haywood forest. It was stewed and 

 broiled, and those members of the Club who had resolved 

 themselves into a committee of critical taste, and to whom, 

 therefore, all dishes were immediately brought fresh and hot, 

 quickly separated the Agarics from their gravy, and found them 

 excellent, and particularly the broiled ones, not at all unlike the 

 oysters to which they have been compared. Then followed the 

 Parasol Agaric, Agarkus procerus, but its delicious flavour, 

 perhaps the lightest and best of all of them, not excluding the 

 common Mushroom, was drowned in its over-condimented gravy. 



The fairy-ring Champignon (^Marasmius oreades) appeared 

 then, broiled on toast, after the admirable receipt of Soyer. We 

 give it here in full, for it is the very best receipt for broiling 

 Agarics, or Mushrooms, of every kind. 



" Place young fresh Agarics, or Mushrooms, on toast freshly 

 made and properly divided. Salt, pepper, and place upon each 

 one a small piece of butter (or a little scalded or clotted cream). 

 Put one clove on the toast, then cover with a glass and bake for 

 a quarter of an hour, or broil before a quick fire for twenty 

 minutes. Do not move the glass until it is served up, by which 

 time the vapour will have become condensed and gone into the 

 toast, and when the glass is removed a fine aroma of Mushroom 

 will pervade the table." (N.B. — A common kitchen basin will 

 answer the purpose of a glass as a cover for baking, though it 

 is by no means so elegant.) 



A dish of Agaricus prunulus was served simply stewed. The 

 Agaric had fair play — salt and spice were kept in due abeyance — 

 and "delicious" was the unanimous verdict. This dish never 

 reached a third of the way down the table I 



Many other Agarics might have been dressed, but it was 

 Vol. I. G ^o. 1. 



