188 ABOUT FUNGI. [CHAP. 
table fairy forest, where the trees are of silver bearing 
pearls for fruit. And are not the larger forms also 
beautiful ? Visit the woods in autumn, and note the 
rich variety of form and colour exhibited by the larger 
species there. 
“ Of colour, fungi exhibit an almost endless variety, 
from white, through ochraceous, to all tints of brown 
until nearly black, or through sulphury yellow to reds 
of all shades, deepening into crimson, or passing by 
vinous tints into purplish black. These are the pre- 
dominating gradations, but there are occasional blues 
and mineral greens, passing into olive, but no pure or 
chlorophyllous green. The nearest approach to the 
latter is found in the hymenium of some Bo/etz. Some 
of the Agarics exhibit bright colours, but the larger 
number of bright-coloured species occur in the genus | 
Peziza. Nothing can be more elegant than the 
orange cups of Pesiza aurantia, the glowing crimson 
of Pesziza coccinea, the bright scarlet of Peziza rutilans, 
the snowy whiteness of Pesiza nivea, the delicate © 
yellow of Peziza theleboloides, or the velvety-brown 
of Peziza repunda. Amongst Agarics, the most noble 
Agaricus muscarius, with its warty crimson pileus, is 
scarcely eclipsed by the Continental orange Agaricus 
cesarius. The amethystine variety of Agaricus lac- 
catus is socommon and yet so attractive ; whilst some 
forms and species of Russula are gems of brilliant 
colouring. Yhe golden tufts of more than one species 
of Clavari. are exceedingly attractive, and the deli- 
cate pink o1 immature Lycogala chidendrum is sure to 
command admiration. The minute forms which re- 
quire the microscope, as much to exhibit their colour 
