FUNGI. 223 



devour them.-^ It would be an advantage to the plant, 

 therefore, to be protected from its enemies, and many 

 of the harmless varieties have, no doubt with this 

 object in view, assumed an appearance similar to the 

 poisonous forms. 



These resemblances of the poisonous and edible 

 kinds make the eating of fungi rather dangerous ; and 

 the most extraordinary qualities have been ascribed to 

 them, probably to check scientific investigation. Light- 

 foot has several excellent passages on fungi. "It is," 

 he says, speaking of Agaricus muscarius, " of an acrid 

 and deleterious quality. Hallier states that in Kams- 

 chatka it had driven people mad. The inhabitants 

 prepare a liquor from an infusion of this fungus, 

 which, taken in a small quantity, exhilarates the spirits, 

 but, in a larger dose, brings on a trembling of the 

 nerves, intoxication, delirium, and melancholy." Writ- 

 ing of a Boletus, he says, " Scarabs and Dermestes and 

 many other insects feed upon and breed in them in 

 abundance, and doubtless it is their proper food. It 

 is a pity men or other animals should rob them of it." 



Many of those fungi which are not poisonous but 

 edible, and even pleasant to eat, are coloured in such a 

 way that they closely resemble the dangerous species. 



For example, Dr. Stevenson says, " Boletus edulis 

 is reckoned one of the most delicious, but it very 

 closely resembles B. Satanas^ which is very poisonous." 

 The table below shows two other close resemblances 

 between the ' 



Poisonous. 

 Russula Rubra Fr. 

 R. emetica Fr. 

 Agaricus lividus Bull. 



Edible. 

 Russula alutacea Fr. 

 R. virescens Fr. 

 Agaricus campestris. 



^ The conspicuous species may be eaten by animals. It has recently 

 been shown that the spores are not destroyed whilst passing through the 

 animal's body. 



