iof4 CRYPTCGAMIA FUNGI. 



Pepper Agaric. Anglis. 



In woods frequent. We obferv'd it at 'Blair in 

 AthoU and many other places. IX. X. 



The moll: ufual color of this Fungus is a dirty 

 v/hite, with a little mixture of grey. Some- 

 times, efpecially when full grown or in decay» 

 it acquires a little tinge of red or yellow. 



The ftalk. is a finger thick, and fhort, being only 

 about two inches high. 



The Pileus is from one to four inches wide, con- 

 vex when young, and the mjargin conftantly 

 deflex'd. When full grown it becomes de- 

 prefs'd in the centre, and in decay often funnel- 

 fhap'd. The furface more or lefs villofe. 



The gills are pale, numerous, and clofe j and 

 when either thcfe or the Pileus are wounded, 4 

 cream-color'd juice diftills from both, ex- 

 tremely acrid to the tongue. 



The fubdance is flefiiy and brittle. 



This Fungus^ though the mod acrid and fufpi- 

 cious of the v/hole tribe, is eaten in great quan- 

 tities by the Ruffians. They fill large vcfTels 

 with them in the autumn, feafon or pickle 

 them with fait, and eat them in the enfuing 

 Lent. 



Bur as the free ufc of thefe and others of the 

 genus has frequently been attended with fatal 

 con^^^quences, it noay not be amifs, in this 



placCj 



