OF BRITISH FUNGI. 49 



species (Agaricus arvensis, Schoeff,). The name of 

 St. George (Agaricus Georgii) has been applied to this, 

 as well as to another species of Agaricus. Locally it is 

 sometimes called the horse-mushroom, from its size, and 

 one variety is termed "Springers." The gills are at 

 first paler, and when old, of a darker brown than those 

 of the pasture-mushroom. They are said to be coarser 

 and less finely-flavoured, but to make excellent ketchup, 

 for which purpose they are occasionally sold. Like 

 its ally, the common mushroom, it has several varieties, 

 and some of these are of a much finer flavour than 

 others. To some palates the taste of this species is 

 affirmed to be more agreeable than that of the other. 

 It is worthy of consideration whether some of these 

 varieties might not be cultivated, and, perhaps, thereby 

 improved, as well as the ordinary bed-mushroom, which 

 is probably not the very best which could have been 

 selected for the purpose. 



There are no other examples of edible species to 

 be found in the remaining sub-genera of the PRATELL^:, 

 or brownish-spored series. In Hypholoma the veil is 

 web-like, adhering to the pileus at the margin. During 

 the autumn nearly every post or old stump has its base 

 adorned with clusters of a yellow fungus, with greenish- 

 grey gills. It is very variable in size, and at times 

 much contorted in form ; but so common is it, and so 

 readily recognized, that we are almost tempted to regret 

 that, not only is it bitter and unpleasant to the 

 taste, but probably dangerous. This species, which 

 is named A. fascicularis, from its habit of growing 



