Insects and Mushrooms 



counsels. I have sometimes employed the 

 mottled amanlta, so ill-famed in the books, 

 without disastrous result. One of my friends, 

 a doctor, to whom I communicated my Ideas 

 about the boiling-water treatment, thought 

 that he would make the experiment on 

 his own account. He chose the lemon-yellow 

 amanlta, which has as bad a reputation as 

 the mottled variety, and ate it at supper. 

 Everything went off without the slightest In- 

 convenience. Another, a blind friend, in whose 

 company I was one day to taste the Cossus of 

 the Roman epicures, treated himself to the 

 olive-tree agaric, said to be so formidable. The 

 dish was, if not excellent, at least harmless. 



It results from these facts that a good pre- 

 liminary boiling is the best safeguard against 

 accidents arising from mushrooms. If the in- 

 sect, devouring one species and refusing an- 

 other, cannot guide us in any way, at least 

 rustic wisdom, the fruit of long experience, 

 prescribes a rule of conduct which is both 

 simple and efficacious. You are tempted by a 

 basketful of mushrooms, but you do not feel 

 very sure as to their good or evil properties. 

 Then have them blanched, well and tho- 

 roughly blanched. When it leaves the purga- 



which such directions would not apply. The only safe 

 method in gathering mushrooms is to distinguish the poison- 

 ous from the nonpoisonous v'ariety and to leave the former 

 severely alone. 



423 



