VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AXD CULTURE. 371 



heart has nearly ceased to beat it may be stimulated to 

 strong action almost instantly by the use of atropine. Its 

 use as thus demonstrated has been the means of saving 

 numerous lives. We have in this alkaloid an almost per- 

 fect physiological antidote for muscarine, and therefore 

 in such cases of poisoning its use should be pushed as 

 heroically as the symptoms of the case will warrant. 



"The presence of phallin in Amanita muscaria is pos- 

 sible, and its symptoms should be looked for in the red 

 color of the blood serum discharged from the intestines.'' , 



The Ink Cap (Coprinus atramentarius, Fr.j. — This is one 

 of the edible fungi, or mushrooms, and is quite abundant 

 in new-made lawns that have been heavily manured, gen- 

 erally in large clusters, but sometimes found scattered as 

 single plants. The figure gives a very correct represen- 

 tation of this mushroom. The pileus is egg-shaped, some- 

 times smooth and then again covered with small scales, 

 or in other cases the surface has a granular cast. The 

 stems are short, 



Shaggy ok Maned Ink Cap (Coprinus comatus, Fr.). — 

 Edible, and found growing on lawns and rich grass plats. 

 The stem is longer than those of the ink-cap mushroom, 

 and the pileus is very shaggy, and the pileus remains 

 most of its life in a cylindrical form and does not expand 

 into the umbrella shape as is the case with most of the 

 other mushrooms. 



Culture. — Beds may be readily constructed at any time 

 of the year, except between April and September, when 

 the temperature is rather too high for successful culture, 

 unless in the cool cellar of some outhouse. But November 

 and December are the best months for the purpose. Mush- 

 rooms are propagated by^ spawn, which may be obtained 

 fOr commencing from the seedsmen of our large cities. 

 The spawn is an imported article, and there is but little, 



