EDIBLE AND POISONOUS FUNGI 51 



common mushroom, is abridged from a fuller comparative table 

 in Professor Atkinson's excellent book on American Mushrooms 

 Edible and Poisonous, etc. 



It is somewhat remarkable, and at the same time unfortunate, 

 tliat in several instances a really good and safe edible fungus 

 agrees more or less superficially with an objectionable or sometimes 

 truly poisonous fungus. There are certainly, in all cases, clearly 

 marked botanical diilerences between the two, but such differences 

 are apt to be overlooked or wrongly interpreted by the beginner, 

 therefore those desirous of eating fungi other than the common 

 mushroom will act wisely in not attempting at first to discriminate 

 between species bearing a superficial resemblance to each other, 

 when food, or what is often termed the " pot," is the primary 

 object. Start with a few well-marked species having no poisonous 

 doubles, as represented by the following, which I think, by the 

 combined aid of the figures and the descriptions, cannot be con- 

 founded with any other species. 



Agaricus campestris, the common mushroom (Plate XXIV, Fig. 

 10) ; Lepiota procera, the parasol mushroom (Plate IV, Fig. i) ; 

 Coprinus comatus (Plate XXIV, Fig. 3) ; Fisiuliiia hepatica, the 

 beefsteak fungus (Plate XXIV, Fig. 11) ; Hydnum repandvim 

 (Plate XXVII), Fig. 7) ; Boletus scaher (Plate XXVII, Fig. 4). 

 Full details as to the various methods of cooking fungi, making 

 ketchup, etc., are contained in Dr. M. C. Cooke's British Edible 

 Fungi. In this book is a list of 194 British species, said to be 

 edible b}^ different authorities. Many of these, however, are rare, 

 others too small to count as edible fungi, in the sense of ever pro- 

 curing a sufficient quantity to constitute a dish. Of this number, 

 Dr. Cooke has personally partaken of sixty-nine different kinds 

 in sufficient quantity to guarantee their harmlessness at all events. 

 As would naturally be expected, some kinds appealed to him more 

 than others. 



Turning to truly poisonous fungi, it may be stated without fear 

 of contradiction that one species, Amanita phalloides (Plate II, 

 Fig. i), is responsible for 90 per cent of the deaths actually due to 

 poisoning by fungi, not only in this country, but also throughout 

 Europe and the United vStates. This is one of our commonest 

 of fungi in woods, very neat and harmless-looking, taste and 

 smell pleasant, but withal deadly in its action. Two other very 

 closely allied species, Amanita mappa and A. pantherina, are 

 almost equally poisonous, while, curiously enough, a fourth closely 



