These rules, stated so positively and so 

 confidently, were apparently drawn up 

 for the purpose of excluding species of 

 the genus Amanita (death-cup), several 

 of which have a ring, cup, and white 

 gills. To this extent they are commenda- 

 ble. 



But they wholly fail when applied to 

 poisonous species belonging to eleven 

 other genera (Lepiota, Clitocybe, Volva- 

 ria, Entoloma, Hebeloma, Stropharia, 

 Psilocybe, Coprinus, Lactarius, Maras- 

 mius, Panaeolus). In these eleven 

 genera there are twelve American species 

 that may cause distressing or even alarm- 

 ing symptoms, followed, however, by 

 more or less rapid recovery, while there 

 are eight others that are regarded as 

 dangerously poisonous. An analysis of 

 these twenty species shows that in eleven 

 of them all three of the characters called 

 for in rules I, 2 and 3 above are absent; 

 that is, the plants have no ring, no> cup, 

 and the gills are not white; that in the 

 remaining nine, two of the characters 

 indicating poison are wanting. In other 

 words, one following the above "rules" 

 would be able to reject Amanita, which 

 contains eight American species that are 

 considered dangerous, while he would 

 incur the risk of poisoning by any one of 

 twenty species belonging to other genera, 

 all of which, according to the "rules 

 which never fail' should be edible. 



Other rules and tests common in popu- 

 lar literature will be found to be equally 

 fallacious. For example, the following are 

 among the signs or tests said to indicate 

 edibility : 



Pleasant taste or odor. 



Skin of cap peeling readily. 



Not turning black when boiled with a silver 

 spoon or coin. 



Solid stems. 



Growing in pastures, not in woods. 



Gills pink, turning brown as the plants 

 mature. 



Of these tests it may be said that the 

 deadly Amanitae have no unpleasant odor 

 or taste, either before or after cooking; 

 that the skin of several of them peels as 

 readily as that of the common mushroom 

 of the markets ; that the stems of several 

 are solid when the plants are young ; that 

 when fresh they will not discolor silver 

 (this test indicating that a specimen, 

 either of a toxic or non-toxic species has 



begun to decay) ; that some of the nox- 

 ious species in the eleven genera cited 

 above have pink gills turning dark, while 

 others grow in pastures. 



In a general way it may be stated that 

 most of the rules or tests that have any 

 scientific value have been prepared for 

 the purpose of excluding some one or 

 more species which the framer knew to 

 be poisonous, overlooking perhaps, others 

 equally deleterious, with which he was 

 unfamiliar. Also, that the more positive 

 and didactic a set of rules, the greater 

 the ignorance of the writer and the less 

 reliance to be placed on them. 



But must mushroom-lovers forego the 

 pleasure of gathering and eating these 

 dainties on account of the fallacies of 

 these rules and superstitions? By no 

 means. The fungi differ among them- 

 selves by certain characters that are 

 as fixed as those that exist in the higher 

 plants. Botanists have studied them 

 carefully, described, figured and named 

 them, and in addition have tested the 

 edibility of nearly every important species 

 that occurs in the United States. The 

 results of these studies have been re- 

 corded in various publications and are 

 accessible to anyone who wishes to take 

 up the study. Professor Charles H. Peck, 

 State Botanist of New York, has pub- 

 lished two bulletins describing and illus- 

 trating several hundred of the more 

 common species, and there are trust- 

 worthy books to be found in all large 

 libraries, or obtained through any 

 bookseller. The amateur should by all 

 means procure a book describing the 

 edible and poisonous kinds and then study 

 the plants he finds. By the aid of the 

 descriptions and illustrations he will find 

 that at the end of a single season he can 

 identify with certainty a number of kinds 

 that he may safely use upon his table. If 

 he is fortunate enough to have the advice 

 of a mycologist during his early studies, 

 his progress will be much more rapid. 

 The study of these lowly plants is a fas- 

 cinating one, and leads into fields where 

 there is much to be learned concerning 

 the life-histories and economic uses of 

 a form of vegetation that plays an impor- 

 tant part in keeping the earth in a habita- 

 ble condition. 



Will Sayer Moffatt. 



203 



