88 FUNGI. 



food. Foremost of these is a really splendid orange species 

 (Agaricus ccesarius, Scop.*), which belongs to tbe same subgenus 

 as the very deleterious fly-agaric, and the scarcely less fatal 

 Agaricus vernus, Bull. It is universally eaten on the continent, 

 but has hitherto never been found in Great Britain. In the 

 same subgenus, Agaricus strobiliformis,^ Fr., which is rare in this 

 country, and probably also Agaric its Cecilice, B. & Br.J Besides 

 these, Agaricus excoriafus, Schosff., Agaricus mastoideus, Fr., 

 Agaricus gracilentus, Kromb., and Agaricus holosericeus, Fr., 

 all belonging to the same subgenus as the parasol mushroom, 

 more or less uncommon in England. 



Although the larger number of esculent agarics are white- 

 spored, some few, worthy of note, will be found in the other 

 sections, and notably amongst these the common mushroom and 

 its congener the meadow, or horse mushroom. In addition to 

 those already enumerated, might be included also the Agaricus 

 pudicus, Bull, which is certainly wholesome, as well as its ally, 

 Agaricus IcocUromus, Cooke,|| both of which have rusty spores. 



The late Dr. Curtis,^" in a letter to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, 

 enumerates several of the fungi which are edible amongst those 

 found in the United States. Of these, he says, Agaricus amyg- 

 dalinus, Curt., can scarcely be distinguished when cooked from 

 the common mushroom. Agaricus frumentaceus, Bull, and three 

 allied new species, peculiar to the United States, are commended. 

 Agaricus ccespitosus, Curt., he says, is found in enormous quanti- 

 ties, a single cluster containing from fifty to one hundred stems, 

 and might well be deemed a valuable species in times of scarcity. 

 It would not be highly esteemed where other and better species 

 can be had, but it is generally preferred to Agaricus melleus, Fr. 

 It is suitable for drying for winter use. In the same communi- 

 cation, he observes that the imperial (Agaricus ccesarius, Scop.), 



* Krombholz, " Schw&rame," t. 8. Vittadini, " Mang." t. 1. 



t Vittadini, " Mangerecci," t. 9. 



J Berkeley, "Outlines," pi. 3, fig. 5. 



Saunders and Smith, " Mycological Illustr." pi. 23. 



I Cooke, M. C., " Handbook of British Fungi," voL i. pi. 1, fig. 2. 



f "Gardener's Chronicle" (1869), p. 1066. 



