The Life of the Fly 



(/Amanita panthcriua, D. c), the vernal 

 amanita {Amanita vertia, fries) and the 

 lemon-yellow amanita {Amanita citrina, 

 SCHAEFF.), all three of which are poisonous. 

 In short, whether it be to us a delicious dish 

 or a deadly poison, no amanita is accepted by 

 the grubs. The Arion alone sometimes bites 

 at it. The cause of the refusal escapes us. It 

 were vain, speaking of the mottled amanita, 

 for instance, to allege as a reason the presence 

 of an alkaloid fatal to the grubs, for we should 

 have to ask ourselves why the imperial, the 

 amanita of the Caesars, which is wholly free 

 from poison, is rejected no less uncompromis- 

 ingly than the venomous species. Could it per- 

 haps be lack of relish, a deficiency of season- 

 ing for stimulating the appetite? In point of 

 fact, when eaten raw, the amanitae have no 

 particular flavour. 



What shall we learn from the sharper-fla- 

 voured mushrooms? Here, in the pinewoods, 

 is the woolly milk-mushroom {Lactarius tor- 

 minosus, schaeff.), turned in at the edges 

 and wrapped in a curly fleece. Its taste is bi- 

 ting, worse than Cayenne pepper. Torminosus 

 means colic-producing. The name is very 

 suitable. Unless he possessed a stomach built 

 for the purpose, the man who touched such 

 416 



