FUNGI 
omena of nature, than to trace the various steps of 
process by the slow but certain road of fact and 
observation. For an account of the various hypotheses 
which have been formed, in order to account for these 
circles, or fairy rings as they are called, see the article 
Fairy Rixas. Before, however, dismissing the subject, 
we must remark, that the disposition to assume regular 
in the course of vegetation, does not seem pecu- 
liar to the fungi. Every person at all acquainted with 
the lichens, mast have observed similar appearances of 
a circular growth in many of the crustaceous species. 
And no one who has ever traversed the sandy downs 
of a sea-shore, can have failed to remark the lineal 
of the Carex arenaria, running under the sand 
and protruding its stalk in a straight: line, as if planted 
by a skilful er. How careful, therefore, should 
we be to prefer observation to conjecture, and fact to 
hypothesis. 
The season of the year in which the fungi appear 
most numerous is towards the end of autumn and be- 
ginning of winter. They observe particular seasons of 
the year in which to rise with as much regularity as 
the more perfect plants, and hence some of the species 
naturally allied may with tolerable certainty be discri- 
-minated. The Agaricus Georgii, which is found in Es- 
sex in considerable quantities, and collected for the 
London market, is known by the name of St George’s 
mushroom, because they usually spring up in greatest 
quantities about St George’s day.. 
_. The fungi exhibit some of the finest colours of the 
vegetable kingdom. In the coloured drawings of the 
more perfect plants, the artist is sometimes too profuse 
in tints, and the figures exhibit a gaudy aspect ; but in 
the colouring of figures of the fungi, he need be under 
little apprehension of committing excess. Nature hav- 
ing withheld from this portion of her plants those flow- 
ers which form the chief beauties of the higher orders, 
and-even the leaves with which they are clothed, has 
profusely scattered her colours over the whole surface of 
the pes Reba ornamenting the cap with one colour, 
the gills with a second, and the stem with a third. Let 
but the lover of natural beauty free his mind from pre- 
judice, and then examine the forms and colouring of 
the fungi, and he will be compelled to admit, that ma« 
ny of them rival in symmetry and splendour, the rose 
and the lily, those gaudy ornaments of Flora. 
In general the fungi emit scarcely any smell, and 
entirely destitute of any volatile particles; or 
y possess. a, cadaverous smell, which renders them 
exceedingly offensive. A few, however, emit effluvia 
by no means di cable, nay, in some instances re- 
markably pleasant. ‘Thus the Agaricus pratensis diffu- 
ses an agreeable odour like almond kernels. The Aga- 
ness fragrans powerfully sends forth the pleasant smell 
of new mown hay, similar to the Anthoxanthum odora- 
tum, While these odours please the sense of smell, 
-others are by no means so agreeable, as Agaricus muri- 
- nus, which smells like mice; and in this respect re- 
sembles the Cynoglossum vulgare. It is impossible for 
us to determine Shee important poe in the econo- 
my of the fungi the scent which they emit serves; but 
- in some. cases it is most destructive to the animal crea- 
tion. Thus in the case of the Phallus impudicus, the 
foetid cadaverous odour which it emits allures multi- 
tudes of flies to light upon its cap, where they are en- 
tangled by the slimy matter with which that organ is 
so plentifully supplied. In this case, it is probable that 
the yes obtains some nourishment from the decay of 
the flies to enable it to perfeet its seeds, Similar ar- 
53 
rangements in the economy of nature have been obser- 
ved to prevail in the higher orders of vegetables, as in 
the Drosera rotundifolia, or common sundew, fre-~ 
quent on our turf bogs. The Laplanders burn some of 
the Boleti about their habitations: and the smoke, as 
they think, drives away a species of gadfly which is 
fatal to the young rein-deer. 
In respect to taste, the mushrooms present as remark- 
able variations as they do in regard to smell. Many of 
them are vapid and tasteless. Others, though by no 
means unpleasant in the mouth, leave a disagreeable 
roughness in the throat, Thus the Agaricus aromati- 
cus yields to the tongue the agreeable coolness of pep- 
permint ; but leaves on the throat a roughness which 
remains for a considerable time. This is remarkably, 
the case with almost all the lactescent agarics. 
Scarcely any two agarics agree in regard to sub-, 
stance. Some are replete with a watery fluid, while 
others are dry and coriaceous. Some decay and wither 
into a substance like leather; whereas others either de- 
liquesce into a black atramentous liquor, or are changed 
into a powder easily dispersed. 
The investigations of the chemist have scarcely been 
extended to this tribe of vegetables, although ample en- 
couragement be given, by their external properties, to 
expect some new substances. When exposed to the, 
destructive distillation, they yield the ordinary products 
of vegetables, together with a quantity of ammonia, in- 
dicating the existence of some ingredients nearly -rela- 
ted to the animal kingdom. They leave but a scanty 
residuum of charcoal; and the earthy and saline con-« 
tents of the ashes have never been examined with care. 
Dr Scott of Dublin was the first who detected oxalic 
acid in nearly a pure form, in a young plant of Boletus 
sulphureus, Which he found about the middle of Au- 
pete on the trunks of an old decaying cherry tree. 
aving preserved a specimen, he, after some time 
found a singular crystallization on the upper surface, 
and which he observed to have ruptured the investing 
coats of that surface. These needle-like crystals were 
formed on the fungus, in consequence of its drying on-~ 
ly, as none were observable while it remained on the 
tree. That they were pure oxalic acid, or at least 
combined with a very small portion of vegetable fixed 
alkali, was evident from the taste, and by the tests of 
solutions of lime and barytes. This fungus, after being 
freed from the saline matter, was distilled in an earthen, 
retort, during which a quantity of watery fluid came 
over, a thick tar-like extractive matter, carbonic acid 
gas, carbonated hydrogenous gas, and lastly hydroge- 
nous gas. It was not observed whether azotic gas was 
among the first products ; but it probably was, as the 
watery fluid which came over in distillation contained 
ammonia, which appeared by the odour, and the fumes 
that were exhibited on holding a paper moistened with 
diluted muriatic acid over a mixture of the former with 
quicklime. The coaly residuum, when burnt in the 
en air, afforded by lixiviation some vegetable fixed 
i. ‘ That the oxalic acid” (says Dr Scott) “ is. 
produced or evolved in the course of vegetation, in 
many plants of the higher ranks, is well known; but 
that it should be found in any of the fungus tribe, 
(which have hitherto been supposed to produce only an 
ammoniacal salt, and on that account considered as a 
link between vegetables and animals,) is a.curious and 
I believe an isolated fact. How far the production of 
oxalic acid in this fungus might depend on its place of 
growth, or soil as it may be termed, I cannot say, but 
it is worth while to repeat the observation on other 
Fungi. 
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