﻿Report 
  of 
  tee 
  State 
  Botanist. 
  137 
  

  

  have 
  this 
  flavor 
  are 
  esculent. 
  But 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  exceptions 
  to 
  

   this, 
  for 
  some 
  when 
  first 
  tasted 
  have 
  a 
  pleasant 
  farinaceous 
  flavor, 
  

   which 
  is 
  quickly 
  followed 
  by 
  one 
  that 
  is 
  bitter 
  or 
  otherwise 
  

   unpleasant. 
  

  

  From 
  all 
  this 
  it 
  will 
  readily 
  be 
  seen 
  how 
  difficult 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  devise 
  

   any 
  general 
  practical 
  rule 
  by 
  which 
  to 
  separate 
  the 
  esculent 
  from 
  

   the 
  dangerous 
  species. 
  

  

  Probably 
  the 
  phalloid 
  amanita, 
  Amanita 
  phalloides, 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  

   species 
  above 
  all 
  others 
  that 
  causes 
  the 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  deaths 
  

   attributed 
  to 
  mushroom 
  poisoning. 
  The 
  cap 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  varies 
  

   somewhat 
  in 
  color, 
  the 
  form, 
  which 
  is 
  entirely 
  white, 
  being 
  the 
  

   most 
  common 
  with 
  us 
  and 
  the 
  most 
  often 
  mistaken 
  for 
  the 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  mushroom. 
  Only 
  gross 
  carelessness, 
  however, 
  could 
  make 
  

   such 
  a 
  mistake, 
  for 
  in 
  this 
  deleterious 
  toadstool 
  the 
  stem 
  is 
  nearly 
  

   always 
  much 
  longer 
  proportionately 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  mushroom, 
  it 
  

   has 
  an 
  abrupt 
  and 
  large 
  bulb 
  at 
  its 
  base 
  which 
  is 
  wanting 
  in 
  the 
  

   mushroom, 
  and 
  its 
  gills 
  or 
  lame 
  las 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   cap 
  are 
  always 
  white, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  mushroom 
  they 
  are, 
  when 
  

   young, 
  a 
  beautiful 
  pink 
  or 
  flesh 
  color, 
  but 
  when 
  old 
  this 
  changes 
  

   to 
  a 
  brown 
  or 
  blackish 
  color. 
  

  

  Considerable 
  time 
  was 
  occupied 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  

   as 
  will 
  be 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  monthly 
  reports, 
  in 
  preparing 
  an 
  exhibit 
  

   of 
  specimens 
  of 
  economic 
  fungi 
  for 
  the 
  "World's 
  Columbian 
  

   Exposition. 
  The 
  questions 
  asked 
  me 
  and 
  the 
  remarks 
  of 
  visitors 
  

   overheard 
  by 
  me 
  while 
  placing 
  this 
  exhibit 
  in 
  position 
  in 
  the 
  

   Horticultural 
  Building 
  indicate 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  valuable 
  part 
  in 
  

   the 
  Museum's 
  exhibit 
  as 
  an 
  educator 
  of 
  the 
  public. 
  It 
  is 
  com- 
  

   posed 
  of 
  61 
  species 
  of 
  edible 
  fungi, 
  63 
  species 
  of 
  fungi 
  growing 
  

   on 
  and 
  injurious 
  to 
  wood, 
  18 
  species 
  of 
  parasitic 
  fungi 
  which 
  are 
  

   injurious 
  to 
  cultivated 
  or 
  useful 
  wild 
  plants, 
  and 
  six 
  species 
  that 
  

   are 
  injurious 
  to 
  noxious 
  weeds 
  and 
  animals, 
  and 
  therefore 
  bene- 
  

   ficial 
  to 
  man. 
  A 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  these 
  species 
  and 
  varieties 
  

   is 
  marked 
  E. 
  A 
  preliminary 
  list 
  of 
  Hymenomycetous 
  Fungi 
  

   inhabiting 
  our 
  principal 
  coniferous 
  trees 
  is 
  marked 
  F. 
  

  

  Kespectfully 
  submitted. 
  

  

  CHAKLES 
  H. 
  PECK. 
  

  

  Albany, 
  September 
  19, 
  1893. 
  

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