POISONOUS MUSHROOMS. 119 



WHITE WOOLLY MILK-MUSHROOM. 



Lactarius vellereua. 



(Plate XVII. Fie. 1.) 



It is customary to find in woods the 

 above-named very large chalky white fungus, 

 usually several growing together. The pileus 

 may be eight or nine inches across, depressed 

 in the centre, and funnel-shaped, but with 

 the edges bent over outwards, everywhere 

 woolly with a very short down, and dirty- 

 looking from the adhering soil, etc. ; the 

 gills are broad, not very close, running 

 down the stem. The latter is short and 

 very thick, often two inches, and solid. 

 The whole fungus is very firm, dense, and 

 compact, yielding when bruised or broken 

 a copious white acrid milk. Tradition 

 affirms that this species is very poisonous, 

 and we have been too well satisfied with 

 tradition to try experiments. 



There is a similar white species equally 

 common in woods at the same period of 



