NOTABLE PHENOMENA. 117 



number of edible Agarics have the peculiar odour of fresh mejal, 

 but two species, Agaricus odorus and Agaricus fragrans, hav.e a 

 pleasant anise-like odour. In two or three species of tough 

 Hydnum, there is a strong persistent odour somewhat like melilot 

 or woodruffe, which does not pass away after the specimen has 

 been dried for years. In some species of Marasmius, there is a 

 decidedly strong odour of garlic, and in one species of Hygro- 

 phorus, such a resemblance to that of the larva of the goat 

 moth, that it bears the name of Hygrophorus cossus. Most of 

 the fleshy forms exhale a strong nitrous odour during decay, 

 but the most powerful we remember to have experienced was 

 developed by a very large specimen of Choiromyces meandriformia, 

 a gigantic subterranean species of the truffle kind, and this 

 specimen was four inches in diameter when found, and then 

 partially decayed. It was a most peculiar, but strong and 

 unpleasantly pungent nitrous odour, such as we never remember 

 to have met with in any other substance. Peziza venosa is 

 remarkable when fresh for a strong scent like that of 

 aquafortis. 



Of colour, fungi exhibit an almost endless variety, from white, 

 through ochraceous, to all tints of brown until nearly black, or 

 through sulphury yellow to reds of all shades, deepening into 

 crimson, or passing by vinous tints into purplish black. These 

 are the predominating gradations, but there are occasional blues 

 and mineral greens, passing into olive, but no pure or chloro- 

 phyllous green. The nearest approach to the latter is found in 

 the hymenium of some Boleti. Some of the Agarics exhibit 

 bright colours, but the larger number of bright-coloured species 

 occur in the genus Peziza. Nothing can be more elegant than 

 the orange cups of Peziza aurantia, the glowing crimson of 

 Peziza coccinea, the bright scarlet of Peziza rutilans, the snowy 

 whiteness of Peziza nivea, the delicate yellow of Peziza thele- 

 loloides, or the velvety brown of Peziza repanda. Amongst 

 Agarics, the most noble Agaricus muscarius, with its warty 

 crimson pileus, is scarcely eclipsed by the continental orange 

 Agaricus casarius. The amethystine variety of Agaricus laccatus 

 is so common and yet so attractive ; whilst some forms and 



