162 MUSHROOM CULTURE. 



some diet/ It is often said that he was a brave man 

 who first ate an oyster,, and truly a more uninviting 

 mouthful than it was could scarcely be imagined; and 

 yet the fact that it is good and wholesome soon disposed 

 of any prejudice against it. And is it not likely that 

 such would be the case, were the fungus tribe fit for 

 human food ? Can we suppose any prejudice arising from 

 their leathery looks would not evaporate like mists before 

 the morning sun, were they really the nutritious and 

 delicious dainties they are described to be by their enthu- 

 siastic advocates ? 



" I think it may be observed that the general character 

 which a man bears is, on the whole, a true one. That 

 big school, the world in which we live, contrives, in some 

 way or other, to hit off pretty accurately our average 

 merit and take our measure, and though it may make a 

 mistake now and then in some particular instance, its 

 general estimate is a fair one ; and so with funguses. 

 There may be a too-sweeping condemnation of all kinds 

 of them : nay, it may be even probable that Agaricus 

 campestris is not the best that grows, and yet, after all, 

 the prevalent distrust of the tribe is well founded. 



" When, e.ff. f some family in a parish is known to 

 have been poisoned by eating a wrong sort, it is not 

 surprising, nor can it be called stupid prejudice, if their 

 neighbours are ever after rather shy of the article of food 

 which produced that result. But it will be said that the 



