The Beneficial and Injurious Influences of Fungi. 189 



fungi was an opinion current among the ancients, and Plutarch 

 has given us a long and curious dissertation in his ' Symposiacs' 

 (Book IV.) on the question ' Why fungi are thought to be 

 produced by thunder.' At a certain supper in Elis, where 

 large truffles were found, some of extraordinary size were 

 set on the table. Many of the guests seemed to wonder, 

 whereupon some individual jokingly referred to the thunder- 

 storms which had lately happened as being the cause of their 

 appearance, meaning to deride the popular opinion as absurd ; 

 whereupon Agemachus, the worthy host prayed the company 

 not to conclude a thing was incredible because it was strange 

 and wonderful. The influence of thunder rains on truffles 

 is referred to by Juvenal, who also speaks of the great estima- 

 tion in which they were held — 



' Post hunc tradentur tubera, si ver 

 Tunc erit et facient optata tonitrua ca?nas 

 Majores, Tibi habe frumentum, Alledius inquit, 

 O Libye ; disjunge boves, dum tubera mittas ! ' 



Sat. V., 116-119. 



The economic value of Fungi as an article of food is un- 

 doubted. During these strenuous times when everyone is 

 advising war economy, it behoves us to look round and see 

 how we can further utilise the ' fruits of the earth ' for increasing 

 our food supplies ; and it is somewhat sad to see the vast quan- 

 tities of edible and nutritious fungi which every season are 

 allowed to waste for want of knowledge as to their food value. 



They surpass all other vegetable products in the richness 

 of their proteids, and as the percentage of nitrogen is an indica- 

 tion of nutritive value the following examples are quoted of 

 percentages of nitrogen in dried fungi : — 

 Cantharellus Boletus Russula Lactarius Agaricus Morel Truffle 



3-22 47 4-27 4-68 7-26 8-23 15-35 



In comparison with other vegetable foods the percentages 

 of proteids are : — 



Truffle Morel Mushroom Lentil Peas Wheat Rye Potatoes Turnips, etc. 

 35 36-25 26-31 29-33 28-02 16 12 1/5 1-5 



Even the poisonous fungi contain much nutritious food 

 material and would be equally valuable if their poisonous 

 elements could be eliminated, some of which are volatile and 

 can be dispersed by high cooking, others are rendered innocuous 

 by the application of vinegar and salt. 



A short list of exulent Fungi, nearly all of which have 

 been tested at the Forays of the Mycological Section. 



Spring Species. 



Marasmius oreades Fairy ring champignon. 



Tricholoma gambosum St. George's Mushroom. 



Morchella esculenta Morel. 



1917 June 1. 



