CRTPTOGAMIA. 225 



singular effects, so that if they wish to step over a straw, or 

 small stick, they take a stride, or jump sufficiently high to 

 clear the trunk of a tree. Others talk incessantly, and reveal 

 all their own secrets as well as those of their neighbors. 

 Others become exceedingly active, and exert great muscular 

 powers ; while those who are fond of music, sing perpetually. 

 When taken in still larger doses, it produces giddiness, 

 spasms, or death-like drunkenness. Indeed, its effects 

 can hardly be distinguished from those produced by large 

 quantities of wine, or ardent spirits. This statement is made 

 by Dr. Langsdorff, to which we subjoin a figure of the species 

 from Enc. of Plants. 



Amanita muscaria. Fly-blown Agaric. 

 Height 4 inches ; margin of the cap striated ; 

 color, orange red ; warty ; stipe bulbous ; 

 poisonous. 



A large proportion of the Mushrooms are 

 either offensive to the smell, or taste, or 

 are poisonous. Some of them are so ex- 

 ceedingly virulent as to destroy life in a 

 short time when eaten. Hence many of 

 those who have made this department of 

 botany a subject of investigation, and who, 

 therefore, might be supposed best to know 

 the appearance of the different species, will never taste the 

 wild kinds for fear of the consequences. The kind which is 

 cultivated for the table, when taken from the bed in which it 

 is grown, it is said, has never been known to act as poison. 

 Large quantities of these are raised in the vicinities of large 

 cities, for the markets, and in some countries are in common 

 use as an article of food. The species cultivated for this 

 purpose is the Agaricus campestris, and among the many hun- 

 dred known species, this is the only one now employed. It 

 may be known by the following description from Loudon. 



Gills loose, pinky red, changing to a liver color, in contact 

 with the stem, but not united with it ; very thick set, irregu- 

 larly disposed, some forked next the stem, some next the edge 

 of the pileus, or cap, some at both ends, and in that case 

 generally excluding the intermediate smaller gills. The pileus, 

 or cap, is white, changing to brown when old, and becoming 

 scurfy. This part is regularly convex on the top, fleshy, 

 grows flatter with age, and is from two to four, and some- 

 times nine inches in diameter. The flesh is white and lique- 

 fies by decay. The stem is solid, white, cylindrical, from 



