FIRST DIVISION OF PLANTS. 



193 



rous dangers which they will resist while they 

 continue in the dormant state. To spring np 

 " like a mushroom in a night," is a scriptural 

 mode of expressing celerity, which accords won- 

 derfully with observation. Mr Sowerby re- 

 mai'ks, " I have often placed specimens of the 

 phallus caninus by a window over night, while 

 in the egg-form, and they liave been fully grown 

 by the morning ;" while ho adds, « they have 

 never gi-own with me in the day time." From 

 tills and other analogous experiments it is not 

 too wild a speculation to suppose, that if placed 

 in the requisite circumstances as regards tempera- 

 ture, moisture, and absence of light, the whole 

 earth would speedily be overrun with fungi. 

 These substances sometimes grow in a singular 

 manner, a remarkable instance of wliich is fur- 

 nished in the fairy rings, which are found chiefly 

 upon dry downs, and which are circles perfectly 

 regular when the surface is uniform ; but vanish- 

 ing when they come to gi-avel or marsh. On 

 these rings an innumerable array of fungi spring 

 up in the latter end of summer. When the 

 fungi are in progress the grass witliers, and the 

 ring has the appearance of having been trodden 

 by invisible feet ; hence its name. The distinc- 

 tion is however only temporary, for by the time 

 that the rest of the grass is withered, that in the 

 fairy path becomes green and vigorous, and a 

 new circle is fomied next season immediately 

 outside. When two rings meet they do not cross 

 each other, but unite, and gradually become an 

 oval ; but if a circle be interrupted by any small 

 obstacle, such as a tree or a stone, it will- unite 

 again on the other side. These rings are formed 

 by various species of mushrooms, and also by 

 some of the lycoperdons, or puff balls; but the 

 cause of the circular formation has not been satis- 

 factorily explained. It would seem that the 

 ground which has produced one crop of fungi is 

 not immediately fit for the production of another, 

 and thus the annual sowing is outwards. It also 

 appears that the decayed matter of the fungi is 

 favourable to the grass by which it is succeeded. 



The kinds of fungi which are used as articles 

 of diet in Britain are the truffle, the morel, and 

 some species of mushroom ; but in other coun- 

 tries, and especially in Russia, most species are 

 eaten, even those which in Britain are the most 

 deleterious, or at least the most acrid. 



The Truffle (tuber cibarium), is found grow- 

 ing in clusters, some inches under the surface of 

 the ground, in a soil which is composed of clay 

 and sand. It is nearly spherical, and without 

 any visible root, of a dark colour, approaching 

 to black, and studded over with pyramidal tu- 

 bercles. The internal pai-t is firm, and grained 

 with serpentine lines. Its colour is white when 

 young ; but becomes black from age. Natural- 

 ists who have examined its structure with mi- 

 croscopic attention, affirm that minute oval cap- 



sules, each containing from three to four seeds, 

 are embedded in its substance. Truffles are na- 

 tives of the woods both of Scotland and England ; 

 but they are not produced in the same abun- 

 dance, nor do they attain to equal perfection, 

 with those which grow in some parts of the con- 

 tinent, and especially in Italy. When of more 

 than three or four ounces in weight, they are 

 considered large for the production of this coun- 

 try ; but it is said that in Italy some are occa- 

 sionally found weighing from eight to fourteen 

 pounds. Since there is no appearance to indi- 

 cate the particular spot where the truffles lie 

 concealed, man calls the sagacious dog to assist 

 him in his search after these subterranean deli- 

 cacies. With much pains this animal has been 

 trained to discover them by the scent ; if success- 

 ful, he barks and scratches the ground, when the 

 gatherer follows and digs up the object of his 

 pursuit. TiTjffles are used, like mushrooms, as 

 an ingredient in certain high-seasoned dishes. 

 They are esteemed the best of the fungi ; but are 

 confined in their locality, and have not hitherto 

 been distributed by artificial culture. They are 

 common in the downs of Wiltshire, Hampshire, 

 and Kent. 



The Morel (phallus esculentusj, see Plate III. 

 fig. 3, is a spheroid, hollow within, reticulated 

 with irregular sinuses on the surface, and of a 

 yellowish colour, standing on a smooth white 

 stalk, the whole rising to the height of about 

 four inches. The substance when recent is wax- 

 like and fi-iable. It is used in the same manner 

 as traffles, and when gathered dry, will keep for 

 several months. The morel is a native of Bri- 

 tain, growing in damp woods and moist pastures, 

 and coming to perfection in May or June. Gle- 

 ditch mentions, that in some woods in Geimany 

 this fungus had been found in the greatest pei- 

 fection in those parts where charcoal had been 

 made. Acting upon this hint, the morel gath- 

 erers were accustomed to make fires in certain 

 spots in the thicket ; but these were sometimes 

 attended with such serious consequences, that 

 the magistrates found it necessary to interfere 

 and forbid the practice. The morel is not, like 

 the mushroom, made an object of culture ; but 

 Lightfoot says that he has raised it from seed. 

 There is a fungus in Terra del Fuego which af- 

 fords a staple article of food to the aborigines, 

 and which is thus described by Mr Darwin : It 

 is globular, of a bright yellow colour, of about 

 the size of a small apple, and it adheres in vast 

 numbers to the bark of the birch trees. It pro- 

 bably foi-ms a new genus allied to the morel. 

 In the young state it is elastio and turgid, from 

 being charged with moisture. The internal skin 

 is smooth, yet slightly marked with small circu- 

 lar pits, like those from the small pox. When 

 cut in two, the inside is seen to consist of a white 

 fleshy substance, which, viewed imder a high 

 2 B 



