392 The Book of Woodcraft 



wholesome food but the deadly Amanitas are like ordinary 

 mushrooms, except that they have grown a little thin, 

 delicate and anaemic. 



DANGERS 



The New York papers have told of over twenty deaths 

 this August (191 1) through toadstool poisoning. The 

 explanation possibly hes in a recorded conversation that 

 took place between a field naturalist and a little Italian 

 who was indiscriminatingly collecting toadstools. 



"You are not going to eat those toadstools, I hope? " 



"No! me no eata de toad. My mudder she eata de toad 

 and die; me no eata de toad; me sella de toad." 



All American boys are brought up with a horror of toad- 

 stools that compares only with their horror of snakes and 

 it is perhaps as well. I do not want to send our boys out 

 heedlessly to gather toadstools for the table, but I want to 

 safeguard those who are interested by laying down one or 

 two general rules. 



This is the classification of toadstools that naturally 

 occurs to the woodcrafter: Which are eatable and Which 

 are not. 



Those which are not fit for food, may be so, first, because 

 \ too hard and woodlike, and, second, because poisonous. 



The great fact that every boy should know is which 

 are the poisonous toadstools. Mark Twain is credited 

 with suggesting a sure test: "Eat them. If you live they 

 are good, if you die they are poisonous." This is an example 

 of a method that can be conclusive, without being satis- 

 factory. 



What way can we suggest for general use? 



First, remember that there is nothing at all in the popular 

 idea that poisonous mushrooms turn silver black. 



