INTRODUCTION 1 3 



lection presents, to all intents and purposes, a more 

 than sufficient list, the species being easily distin- 

 guished, and, with proper consideration to their fresh- 

 ness, entirely safe and of sufficient frequency in their 

 haunts to insure a continually available mushroom 

 harvest throughout the entire fungus season. 



The knowledge of their identities once acquired, 



it is perfectly reasonable to assert that in average 



weather conditions the fungus-hunter 



Fungus food confine himself to these varieties 



always ■' 



available and still be confronted with an embar- 

 rassment of riches, availing himself of 

 three meals a day, with the mere trouble of a ramble 

 through the woods or pastures. Indeed, he may 

 restrict himself to six of these species — the green 

 Russula, Puff-ball, Pasture -mushroom, Campestris 

 (meadow -mushroom), Shaggy-mane, and Boletus edu- 

 lis — and yet become a veritable mycological gour- 

 mand if he chooses, never at a loss for an appetiz- 

 ing entree at his table. 



In the group of Russulae and Boleti alone, more 

 than one conservative amateur of the writer's ac- 

 quaintance finds a sufficient supply to meet all diet- 

 ary wants. 



What a plenteous, spontanenns hap '^pg'" "f dflinimi'; 

 "*" feasting an nually goes bep ;g ;^ing in oi ir 



A neglected . woods and fields ! 

 harvest The sentiment of Dr. Badham, the 



eminent British authority on mush- 

 rooms, years ago, in reference to the spontaneous 

 perennial harvest of wild edible fungi which abound- 

 ed in his country, going to wa,ste by the ton, would 



