456 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



When we come to know them as well as we do the 

 common nuts and wild berries and fruits of the fields and 

 woods, mushrooms will add spice, interest, and variety to 

 every walk, excursion, hunt, or camping trip. But a few 

 general precautions should be added, and those already 

 given may be briefly summarized. 



1. Never be tempted into eating a mushroom in the 

 " button " stage, especially one found in the woods. At 

 this time the marks by which the different species are 

 distinguished are not developed. Many accidents have 

 happened from disregard of this sensible precaution. 



2. Reject all mushrooms that show signs of decay. 

 Any food may become unwholesome or even poisonous if 

 tainted. All specimens infested by insects should also be 

 discarded. 



3. Reject all mushrooms that have a cup or sac or scaly 

 bulb at base of stem, a veil or annul us, and white spores. 

 These three characters combined point infallibly to the 

 deadly amanitas ; but, at first, reject all that show any trace 

 of a cup and use extreme caution in dealing with any 

 members of this group. 



The statement of Dr. George Francis with regard to all 

 other mushrooms is : " Being certain that you have no 

 amanitas, it is not unsafe to make cautious trial of any 

 species whose raw taste is not objectionable." 



