388 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by A. G. and B. Leeper 



ONE OF THE POISONOUS MEMBERS OF THE AMANITA MUSHROOM FAMILY 



The top view of the specimen on the right shoAvs that the deadly Amanitas peel as readily as 

 the edible mushrooms. "Peeling" is, therefore, no sign of edibility. 



From personal observation, however, 

 and from a perusal of the popular litera- 

 ture which advises the consumption of 

 certain species, we may judge that the 

 following species most frequently find 

 their way into the kitchen: Agaricus 

 campester, Agaricus arvcnsis (see Plate 

 I), the Parasol mushroom (Lcpiota pro- 

 ccra, see Plate XIV), certain species that 

 grow on trees {Pleurotus ostreatus, etc., 

 see page 402), ink-caps (species of Cop- 

 rinus, see Plates VIII and XII), "fairy- 

 ring" mushrooms (see page 397), puff- 

 balls (pages 414-419), and, of course. 

 Morels (Plate VII and pages 420, 421). 



Since the establishment of mushroom 

 or mycological clubs in some of our large 

 cities, considerable interest has been 

 aroused, with the result that members 

 and their friends have learned to recog- 

 nize many of the lesser known, yet 

 equally safe and good species. The war, 

 too, has had its effect. Food is scarce 

 and high-priced, and people, following 

 suggestions offered in the public prints, 



are turning to hitherto unknown or dis- 

 regarded sources of food supply, includ- 

 ing the spontaneously growing crop of 

 wild mushrooms. 



RATTEESNAKE DENS VERSUS POISONOUS 

 MUSHROOMS 



But those who, unadvised or ill-advised, 

 would gather wild species for the table 

 should remember that they are embark- 

 ing upon an adventure that may lead to 

 a sudden and horrible death. 



To ask a person to gather his own 

 mushrooms for the table, without previ- 

 ous instruction that will enable him to 

 avoid the deadly kinds, is equivalent to, 

 if not worse than, inviting him to put his 

 unprotected hand into a den of rattle- 

 snakes. Indeed, of the two risky per- 

 formances, the latter would be the safer ; 

 for there are at least two known anti- 

 dotes for rattlesnake venom, whereas 

 there is none for the poison or poisons 

 of the exceedingly common Amanita 

 phalloidcs (see Plates X and XVI) and 

 its multitudinous forms and varieties. 



