BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 103 



6th. The MUSHROOM tribe, never exhibiting 

 any appearance of green herbage, generally 

 corky, fleshy, or mould-like, varying in form and 

 color. All are of quick growth, and very short 

 duration ; they grow mostly in dark and under- 

 ground situations. 



L. Catsup is made from them is it not ? 



E. From some, not from all, for many are 

 poisonous. We are told that the Ostiacks, a 

 Siberian tribe, make a preparation from one of 

 the species that will kill the most robust man 

 in twelve hours. Several of our Mushrooms 

 are almost as dangerous, as there is a liquid 

 hid within them of a nature so acrid that a sin- 

 gle drop on the tongue w T ill produce a blister. 

 The Russians during their long fasts live en- 

 tirely on this tribe, and are afflicted in conse- 

 quence with violent convulsions in many cases. 



L. Is there any method by which the good 

 can be distinguished from the bad ? if not I will 

 eat no more Catsup. 



E. Yes. The eatable species is known by 

 its convex, scaly, \vhite cap, or head, which is 

 mounted upon a stalk. The whole is at first 

 covered by a wrapper that bursts by the sudden 

 growth of the upper part, and in many cases 



