LESSONS IN* EOT 





rials j as, ttw fflr 3eug ? what sort of stuff ? mat fur SJftn ? what 

 kind of wine P 



mat fur fin, and also vxl(t> (that is, Ml&r, withoat 

 ruinations of declension) are occasionally otii 



us of Hiirprine or wonder; ad, tool fur ( i : 

 flMaim ! what a i:: 



sometimes used fur warum ; thus, rout 

 u mu-li ''. why fctrikost thou mo ? 



liCISES IK LESSONS IN GERMAN, 

 page 179). 



1 '". * ; ' .<.* '-Hurt ifl ? 2. 3nr 



fmitc mil- nuurtjt* iibrr Va!i:u.'i:tMitM'"t. 3. ^t> imte fcuu i. 



, < fct tcnn, t.tji tic I'Kihi'fiiti.jfcit nndi ;u<ing.t. 4. 3&r ivmrt 

 ta 4immtlrcii1> fi'nimcn, t fri tcnn, ta Jhr tit SBo(llb.ittn te 

 Scrrn iincrfcmit. 5. SWclii fritter gtmj gcflcrn n-rt, itnt u 

 : -if'HTt. 6. (S wrftcfit fu$ cn fclfcft, t.iil tie U 1 . 

 :ii^n nti-f't rbne SH.ihrtimj Icbtn fimncn. 7. SWrin !!', 

 uut ffinc* von ben Jtmfcem nag, too c ift. 8. Hnftr Qf><'> 



mtt iiur, IIMC ivnt tit in tifiVr 5i<K$e ju gtfjtn $aft. 10. 29o(>m 



1 1. 3$ flttye ju nitintm Winter, li'. 2Bic u<cii ! 

 in 'Jfhfu il an ten QJarf. 14. 'Bit u-cit habtn 3te )u gcbtn ? 



15. lliujrfal'r mi 'iMtrtcl 2Wtilcn. Id. Gt gtauhr, tit 3cit fti nun ;f. 

 tomincn, ftcty feinm ctgncn 2Dj tnrd)' 9tbcn ju KUmen. 



LESSONS IN BOTANY. XLVI. 



SECTION CXXIII. P.UNQI (continued). 



WE shall now proceed to a description of the classification 

 that has boon adopted for the curious vegetable 



, a term -which has been adopted into the English 

 language directly from the Latin, but which is derived from 

 the Greek viroyyia (spon'-gi-a), a sponge. 



Wo will commence with the two divisions Him 



.ud Gasteromycetes ; the spores lying externally in tho 

 former, and internally in the latter. These divisions are sub- 

 divided into four tribes 1st, Pilcati; 2nd, Clavati; 3rd, 

 Mitmti; and 4th, Cupulati. In each of these tribes we find 

 esculent species, although most of that description are found in 

 the first tribe, tho Pileati, and of that tribe the genus Agaricut 

 supplies the largest number of any of the genera. 



All agarics are furnished with a fleshy pilous or cap, a stipes 

 or stem, and gills placed at right angles with their stem. The 

 species of this genus differ widely in size, shape, and colour ; 

 but all agree in tho possession of tho parts which wo have named. 



Our own favourite meadow mushroom (Fig. 305) is the first 

 we will describe, of which old Gerard says : 



" Tho meadowe mushroom is in kindo the best ; 

 It is ill trusting any of the rest." 



Every one considers himself a complete judge of this species, 

 and few hesitate to present at their table a dish of these agree- 

 able fungi, without talcing any other means of proving their 

 trustworthiness, than that most fallacious mode of directing 

 their cook to stir them whilst dressing with a silver spoon ; in 

 full belief that if their juices do not tarnish the silver, there 

 can bo no injurious specimen amongst them. 



But although this kind is in such general use in England, yet 

 it is by no means more easy to discriminate it from other 

 species, than it is to discriminate most other kinds. " No 

 fungus," says Dr. Badham, "presents itself under such a 

 variety of forms or such singular diversities of aspect. Tho 

 inference is plain ; less discrimination than that employed to dis- 

 tinguish this would enable any one who should take the trouble 

 to recognise at a glance many of those esculent species which 

 overy spring and autumn fill our plantations and pastures with 

 ;>lonteousness." The cap of this mushroom is in some indi- 

 viduals snowy white and smooth ; in others, brown and scaly ; 

 in some instances the gills are of a delicate pink ; in others of 

 a deep, rusty black ; some grow broad and flat, others in the 

 form of buttons, looking almost like a puff-ball of a soft, smooth 

 texture, and of a pure white colour. The stem in some varieties 

 is nearly straight, as in the larger one in our cut ; in others it 

 is broader, by one-third, at the top than at the bottom, and 

 altogether shorter than it is wide, tho under part of the cap 

 being upturned at an obtuse angle with the bulky stem so as to 

 display the coarse -look Lie dark gills which line it. 



It u a pU-*.nt thiaf to -ally forth ri/ in th* dj, nadar 



-t of kuunhitrt which brV> oat on * tuft ciau- 



morning In B*ptmnbr, and to MM how UM uifbt dewhv Uae 



at work in hMtaniay tha growth of fungi. W Mi hardly wr 



~" 



as are axeaUaat pickled. The way to do tl 

 Bleet all tha buttons; place them, skins and aU, in a sfewpan 

 with allspice, salt, and pappar ( Hew than util thay hat* 

 giran out every drop of thair juice, and (like ehUdrs. who giro 

 and than repent, and take back agate) hare r-absorb*d all those 

 juices, charged with tha flavow of th* spioa* among which thay 

 have bean stewing. Whan this process is oonp 

 much hot vinegar as will cover year mushroom*, toil thscs just 

 for a minute, and they are finished. Tha large broad pars'itMima 

 are delicious, broiled with salt and pepper; and tha middfe- 

 bed kinds, stewed in thair own juice, with a little pepper. 



ttar. Whatever tha ItaUau maj MJ. th*" jj 

 'fit is a <L-)i . -u articla of food ; and it U a rcrr rar 

 fur any injohoiu affect to ariaa from parUL 

 them. 



Tha A'jariciu <! ',- 1 .> n, tho oranga milk-agaric, U anothar 

 f ungua which U in high repute; it may ha found in tha fir 

 plantations of Scotland, M alo on thoaa of tha barren hillc at 

 Burr in Staffordshire, an well u near Onildford in Borray, and 

 in nome other place*. This fnngna U of a dull-mMi.h orange, 

 with a Homowhat vindd cap, frequently lined with oooaaatrk 

 oirolea of rather a brighter hue. It haa narrow branched gill* 

 approaching flame colour ; the stem u orange, nolid. and taper* 

 ing downwards, Blightly bent, from two to three inches high, 

 and covered at the baeo with short- pointed bain ; the flesh of 

 tho cap, or pilous, ia firm, and filled with red orango mill 

 turns green when exposed to the air, aa does tha whole plant 

 when braised. Badham and London agree in stating it 

 excellent food, and much in request in the Italian marketi. 

 Soworby says, " It was very luscious eating, full of rich 

 with a little tho flavour of mussels; " and Sir Jamas 

 " that it really deserves its name, Ay orient delifiontt, being the 

 most delicious mushroom known." tt*^M n says, "It may be 

 served with white sauce, or fried ; but the U-t way to cook 

 them, after duly seasoning with salt and pepper, and putting a 

 piece of butter upon each, is to bake them in a closely-covered 

 pie-dish for about thioo-quarters of an hour." 



Another of tho Pilcati which wo must notice is the Can/Aa- 

 rellu* cibarius (Fig. 306), an exceedingly pretty fungus, of a 

 soft apricot hue throughout both cap and stem ; and instead of 

 gills, it is furnished with thick veins or plaits, very elegant in 

 appearance. It is irregular in form, and the stems are M4*a. 

 if ever, in tho centre of the cap. London says that the bast 

 way of preserving them for use is to string them in rows after 

 they have become flaccid, and hang them in a dry place, where 

 they can have plenty of air ; they then form a delicious in- 

 gredient in rich gravies. Vittadini, an Italian writer on the 

 subject, says that the common people in Italy dry or pickle 

 them, or keep them in oil for winter use ; and recommends, aa 

 they are rather tough, to soak them for a night in milk, whan 

 they should be gently stewed with other fungi or with meat, or 

 else alone. 



We have before stated that the greater number of esculent 

 fungi belong to the tribe Piltati, under which head are classed 

 the genera Agaricut. Bolebu, Hydnum, Polyponu, Fit<\i' : .na, 

 'tins, and several other genera, all of which furnish 

 more or fewer edible species. Of these, however, we find the 

 most under the head Ayariat*, a genus which takes its name 

 from Apraria, a kingdom of Sarmatia. Our English word mush* 

 room (by which all kinds of edible fungi are commonly desig- 

 nated) has a French origin, and comes from tha word 



"originally," says Badham, ''spelled moiusenm; and belongs of 

 right to that most dainty of fnngnsm, the Agariaa pnnmltut, 

 which grows amidst tender herbage and moM, whence its name." 

 Champign * 8 lso f French derivation ; but whilst that name 

 in France is generic, the English make it tpeetff, and restrict it to 

 a single species, the Marasmius oreades, or fairy-ring mnshrooai. 

 .!<? n.-us pmnu/iu has also a right to tha cognomen fairy-ring 

 mushroom, for it, as well as Agaritus ortadtt, .IjjanVw* orosQa, 

 a Gforyii, Agariciu ptrtonatiu, and our common mush- 

 room. A'laricus earnest ris, has a share in making thoaa mystic 

 rings which in former days seared many a rural hind and maiden. 

 and cansed them to deviate from thair direct course hi pai * 

 through the fields where they were to be seen, lest, if they < 



