﻿31 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  be 
  unimportant 
  as 
  an 
  edible 
  mushroom 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  small 
  

   size. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  capitol 
  lawn 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  

   seasons. 
  It 
  has 
  not 
  a 
  very 
  hig-h 
  flavor 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  harmless 
  and 
  

   relishable 
  when 
  fried 
  in 
  butter 
  and 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  classed 
  as 
  an 
  

   edible 
  species, 
  though 
  some 
  authors 
  say 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  edible 
  

   species 
  of 
  Psilocybe. 
  When 
  uncooked 
  its 
  taste 
  is 
  strong 
  and 
  dis- 
  

   agreeable. 
  

  

  Bovista 
  pila 
  B. 
  & 
  C. 
  

  

  ROUND 
  BOYISTA 
  

  

  PLATE 
  84, 
  EIG. 
  14-18 
  

  

  Peridium 
  globose 
  or 
  subglobose, 
  1-3 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  the 
  

   outer 
  coat 
  very 
  thin, 
  at 
  first 
  smooth, 
  white 
  or 
  whitish, 
  soon 
  break- 
  

   ing 
  up 
  into 
  minute 
  scurfy 
  scales 
  or 
  becoming 
  minutely 
  rimose 
  

   squamulose. 
  finally 
  disappearing 
  and 
  revealing 
  the 
  rather 
  firm 
  

   papery 
  but 
  persistent, 
  tough, 
  glossy 
  brown 
  inner 
  coat; 
  capil- 
  

   litium 
  dense, 
  persistent, 
  brown 
  ; 
  spores 
  even, 
  globose, 
  .00016-. 
  0002 
  

   of 
  an 
  inch 
  broad. 
  

  

  The 
  round 
  bovista 
  takes 
  its 
  specific 
  name 
  from 
  its 
  resemblance 
  

   to 
  a 
  ball. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  globose 
  and 
  about 
  2 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  

   when 
  well 
  developed, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  irregular. 
  

   When 
  young 
  it 
  is 
  white 
  or 
  whitish 
  externally 
  and 
  pure 
  white 
  

   within. 
  , 
  It 
  is 
  edible 
  only 
  while 
  in 
  this 
  condition. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  

   the 
  interior 
  begins 
  to 
  change 
  color 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  fit 
  to 
  eat 
  and 
  

   should 
  be 
  discarded. 
  As 
  it 
  advances 
  in 
  age 
  the 
  surface 
  or 
  outer 
  

   coat 
  shrivels 
  and 
  breaks 
  up 
  into 
  minute 
  scales 
  or 
  scurf 
  and 
  after 
  

   a 
  time 
  disappears. 
  The 
  inner 
  coat 
  is 
  then 
  smooth 
  and 
  tough 
  

   like 
  parchment. 
  In 
  maturity 
  it 
  is 
  brown, 
  purplish 
  brown, 
  seal 
  

   brown 
  or 
  dingy 
  coppery 
  brown, 
  sometimes 
  shining 
  and 
  sometimes 
  

   showing 
  obscure 
  patches 
  of 
  the 
  exceedingly 
  thin 
  dried 
  and 
  

   brownish 
  outer 
  coat 
  still 
  adhering 
  to 
  it. 
  It 
  ruptures 
  irregularly. 
  

   The 
  interior 
  is 
  then 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  dense 
  towy 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   dusty 
  mass 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  a 
  fully 
  matured 
  puffball. 
  

   In 
  this 
  condition 
  it 
  often 
  persists 
  through 
  the 
  winter 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  fairly 
  good 
  condition 
  for 
  specimens 
  after 
  its 
  hibernation. 
  

   It 
  grows 
  either 
  in 
  woods, 
  pastures 
  or 
  meadows 
  and 
  in 
  suitable 
  

   weather 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  from 
  July 
  to 
  September, 
  

  

  