KAUFFMAX] MUSHROOMS 175 



in the barnyard, always appearing at night and looking their 

 best at sunrise, while by noon they have all shrivelled up. But 

 these are not eaten. The "Little ink}-caps" of which we were 

 speaking, have delicate glistening particles on the top surface 

 of the cap which is tinged slightly with reddish-brown. Tiny 

 furrows run up and down the surface, and, when old. the cap 

 splits at the margin, as do the caps of most of the 'Tnky-caps.'* 

 The "Middle-sized inky-cap" appears in similar places, but the 

 flesh of the cap is thicker and the color is gray; at the base 

 of their stems there is usually an irregular small ridge which 

 runs around the stem, by which we may recognize it. Finally, 

 there is the "Large inky-cap," which is often four to six inches 

 tall, and before the cap is expanded it looks like a large oblong 

 egg mounted on a stout stem; but it is not smooth like an egg- 

 shell, for it is covered with shaggy scales. Hence it is often 

 called the "Shagg>-mane'' mushroom. They sometimes come 

 up on our lawns if we keep them well manured, or we may find 

 them by the road-sides and even on piles of horse manure. If 

 we cut them open at the right stage we may find the most beauti- 

 ful shades of pink and purple within, but when old the gills turn 

 black and become a mass of inky drops. It usually requires 

 very heavy spring rains to bring out the "Shaggy-manes," but 

 when they do appear one can often get a peck or more at a 

 picking. 



But we must not keep our eyes too close to the ground. 

 Perhaps if we are fortunate as we pass some old elm or maple 

 tree, we may see a cluster of white shelf-like growths jutting 

 out from the limb or trunk of the tree just out of reach. These 

 are probably the famous "Oyster mushrooms." (Fig. 3) The 

 shelves are soft and fleshy, convex above, and the gills are large 

 and broad. These mushrooms have something of the shape of a 

 large oyster-shell attached sideways, and measure four to six 

 inches from side to side. They are among the most delicious 

 we can find if we are looking for a meal. We climb up the tree, 

 cut them oflF with a sharp knife and carefully wrap them in clean 

 tissue paper which we always carry in our basket w^hen we go 

 mushroom hunting. \\'e do not care to go further that day, 

 because two or three of these shelves will make a nice mess for 

 an ordinary family. We take them home, wash them carefully, 

 lay them on a cloth to drain and then cut them into pieces the 

 size of a quarter dollar. We prepare some bread or cracker 

 crumbs mixed with egg. cover the pieces thoroughly and fr\' 

 them in butter. This dish is enjoyed by almost everyone and 



