6o OBSERVATION S on 



** All fungi are crude in their nature, of 

 *' fpeedy growth, and fudden decay. They 

 ** fpringup, arrive at maturity, and perifli in 

 «^ a few days, moft of them diflblving away 

 ** in a black corrupted liquor, of a foetid 

 " naufeous fmell. They are the food of 

 " fnails, beetles, flies, maojgots, and the 

 ** nidus where they depofit their young. 



'« The Ruffians, indeed, devour almoft 

 '* every fpecies, even thofe which other na- 

 *^ tions efteem the moft poifonous, fuch as 

 *' the agaricus mufcarius, piperatus, &c. but 

 ^* all of them are a doubtful and fufpicious 

 •* food, and the moft innocent have proved 

 " fometimes prejudicial. 



<« By analyfis, it is found that feven parts 



•' of eight in their compofition are watery. 



*« They yield, by fire, a yellow fpirit like 



" hartfhorn, a yellow empyreumatic oil, 



" and a dry, volatile, chriftalline fait : fo 



<< that their nature is evidently alkaline, ex- 



" tremely prone to corruption. 



** Their fibres are tough, and very diffi- 

 " cult to digeft, fwelling in the ftomach like 



