i88 ABOUT FUNGI. [CHAP. 



table fairy forest, where the trees are of silver bearing 

 pearls for fruit. And are not the larger forms also 

 beautiful ? Visit the woods in autumn, and note the 

 rich variety of form and colour exhibited by the larger 

 species there. 



" Of colour, fungi exhibit an almost endless variety, 

 from white, through ochraceous, to all tints of brown 

 until nearly black, or through sulphury yellow to reds 

 of all shades, deepening into crimson, or passing by 

 vinous tints into purplish black. These are the pre- 

 dominating gradations, but there are occasional blues 

 and mineral greens, passing into olive, but no pure or 

 chlorophyllous green. The nearest approach to the 

 latter is found in the hymenium of some Boleti. Some 

 of the Agarics exhibit bright colours, but the larger 

 number of bright-coloured species occur in the genus 

 Peziza. Nothing can be more elegant than the 

 orange cups of Peziza aurantia, the glowing crimson 

 of Peziza coccinea, the bright scarlet of Peziza rutilans, 

 the snowy whiteness of Peziza nivea. the delicate 

 yellow of Peziza theleboloides, or the velvety-brown 

 of Peziza repunda. Amongst Agarics, the most noble 

 Agaricus mnscariits, with its warty crimson pileus, is 

 scarcely eclipsed by the Continental orange Agaricus 

 c&sarius. The amethystine variety of Agaricus lac- 

 catus is so common and yet so attractive ; whilst some 

 forms and species of Russula are gems of brilliant 

 colouring. The golden tufts of more than one species 

 of Clavaria are exceedingly attractive, and the deli- 

 cate pink of immature Lycogala epidendrum is sure to 

 command admiration. The minute forms which re- 

 quire the microscope, as much to exhibit their colour 



