OF BRITISH FUNGI. SI 



for, while it is affirmed to be eaten largely under the 

 name of Hallimasch in Vienna, and sometimes appears 

 in the markets of that city in enormous quantities, and 

 one author compares its flavour to that of lamb, and 

 recommends it to be eaten as an ingredient in stews, 

 Dr. Badham says it is nauseous and disagreeable, and 

 some others, that it is economically valueless. It 

 must be confessed that the odour is not in the least 

 disagreeable, but rather inviting, whilst the taste is 

 slightly acrid when raw, and pleasant enough, though 

 deficient in aroma, when cooked, 



A larger group succeeds that to which we have now 

 alluded, bearing the sub-generic name of Tricholoma. 

 The characters in this group are pretty distinct, and the 

 species often large and imposing. The veil is absent 

 or nearly so, or, if present, is very fugitive,, and the 

 gills have a notch or sinus behind, at the extremity 

 next to the stem. It is extremely probable that this 

 group does not contain a single unwholesome species, 

 and it certainly contains several with very fair esculent 

 properties. The whole of these, and indeed almost 

 every species except the common mushroom, are charac- 

 terized by the majority of our countrymen as " toad- 

 stools:" 



" But the mandrakes, and toadstools, and docks, and darnels, 

 Rose like the dead from their ruin'd charnels ; " 



or, as locally termed in the eastern counties, " toad- 

 skeps," a probable corruption of " toads-cap ;" for 

 " skep" is there held and used as a synonym for a large 

 basket, with which mushrooms have nothing in common. 



