FIELD AND FOREST. 71 



FIELD RECORD. 



Edible Fungi. — Mr. Solyom, of the Congressional Library, re- 

 ports having collected and eaten the following species of Fungi in this 

 neighborhood. Experimental tests of the edible qualities are so rare 

 in this country that we print the list, to which we hope to make addi- 

 tions. 



From our own experience, we are inclined to think that the bad re- 

 sults sometimes attributed to the use of Fungi, said to be edible, hap- 

 pens because they are too mature. The ripe spores of many kinds are 

 echinulate, and all seem to be irritating when taken into the system : 



Agaricus campestris, Lactarius vellereus, 



" arvensis, " volemus. 



Boletus edulis, Lepiota procerus, 



" bovinus, " rachodes, 



" pachypus, Lycoperdon pyriforme, 



Cantharellus cibarius, " bovista, 



Clavaria coralloides, " saccatum, 



" flava, Polyporus ovenus, 



" amethystinus, Russula vesca, 



Fistulina hepatica, " heterophylla, 



Hydnum imbricatum, " virescens, 



" repandum, " lepida, 



" fragile, " alutacege. 



Hygrophorus pratensis, — Wm. H. Seaman. 



Dung Beetles. — F. G. Sanborn's article "Sentiment among In- 

 sects," page 55, No. 7, current volume oi Field and Forest, in refer- 

 ence to our Tumble-bug (yCanthon Icevis,) recalled an incident that- 

 came under my own observation. 



Returning from one of my botanical rambles, in passing along a by- 

 road or lane, I observed one of these dung-beetles rolling his ball to 

 the verge of a deep impression made in the soft clay, (by the hoof of 

 a horse,) and roll down into it ; as thse insects, are usually in pairs, I 

 became interested to watch his proceedings, single handed. I seated 

 myself on the bank under a shade to see what engineering skill my 

 beetle would display in this dilemma. A momentary halt on the sud- 



