THE PAGE OF NATURE. 263 



these countries witu impunity and relish, their noxious 

 properties, if not neutralized by soil and climate, being 

 removed by a process of drying, or pickling in salt and 

 vinegar. M. Roques, in his Histoire des Champignons, 

 gives an extremely interesting account of a large variety 

 of fungi which may be used as food. The golmelle of 

 Lorraine (Agaricus rubescens) ; the jozollo of Italy (Aga- 

 ricus eburneus) ; the verdette and mouceron of the French 

 (Agaricus virescens and prunulus) ; the Nagelschwamme 

 of Austria (Agaricus esculentus), and the Ziegenbart, and 

 gombas, and Brat-biilz of Germany (Clavaria coralloides, 

 and Boletus bovinus], abundantly evince the great regard 

 entertained on the Continent for species which, year after 

 year, are suffered to perish unknown and ungathered in 

 this country. The common mushroom is consumed in 

 enormous quantities in Paris, where its flavour is far 

 superior to ours. All the specimens that appear in the 

 market are reared in the catacombs. By some European 

 nations the edible species are eaten raw and uncooked, 

 as they are considered to be more wholesome and nutri- 

 tious in their natural state. Schwaegrichen informs us, 

 that in consequence of seeing the peasants about Nurem- 

 berg eating raw mushrooms, seasoned with anise and 

 carraway-seed, along with their black bread, he resolved 

 to try their effect himself, and that during several weeks 

 he ate nothing but bread and raw fungi, as Boletus 

 edulis, Agaricus campestris, Agaricus procerus, etc., and 

 drank nothing but water, when, instead of finding his 

 health affected, he rather experienced an increase of 

 strength. Many species of fungi have been used for 

 food from time immemorial in China, whose thrifty in- 



