88 FUNGI. 
food. Foremost of these is a really splendid orange species 
(Agaricus cesarius, Scop.*), which belongs to the same subgenus 
as the very deleterious fly-agaric, and the scarcely less fatal 
Agaricus vernus, Bull. It is universally eaten on the continent, 
but has hitherto never been found in Great Britain. In the 
same subgenus, Agaricus strobiliformis,t Fr., which is rare in this 
country, and probably also Agaricus Cecilie, B.&Br.t Besides 
these, Agaricus excoriatus, Scheff., Agaricus mastoideus, Fr., 
Agaricus gracilentus, Kromb., and Agaricus holosericeus, Fr.,§ 
all belonging to the same subgenus as the parasol mushroom, 
more or less uncommon in England. 
Although the larger number of esculent agarics are white- 
spored, some few, worthy of note, will be found in the other 
sections, and notably amongst these the common mushroom and 
its congener the meadow, or horse mushroom. In addition to 
those already enumerated, might be included also the Agaricus 
pudicus, Bull, which is certainly wholesome, as well as its ally, 
Agaricus leochromus, Cooke,|| both of which have rusty spores. 
The late Dr. Curtis,{ in a letter to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, 
enumerates several of the fungi which are edible amongst those 
found in the United States. Of these, he says, Agaricus amyg- 
dalinus, Curt., can scarcely be distinguished when cooked from 
the common mushroom. Agaricus frumentaceus, Bull, and three 
allied new species, peculiar to the United States, are commended. 
Agaricus cespitosus, Curt., he says, is found in enormous quanti- 
ties, a single cluster containing from fifty to one hundred stems, 
and might well be deemed a valuable species in times of scarcity. 
It would not be highly esteemed where other and better species 
can be had, but it is generally preferred to Agaricus melleus, Fr. 
It is suitable for drying for winter use. In the same communi- 
cation, he observes that the imperial (Agaricus eesarius, Scop.), 
* Krombholz, ‘‘Schwimme,” t. 8. Vittadini, ‘‘ Mang.” t. 1. 
+ Vittadini, ‘‘ Mangerecci,” t. 9. 
t Berkeley, ‘‘ Outlines,” pl. 3, fig. 5. 
§ Saunders and Smith, ‘* Mycological Illustr.’’ pl. 23. 
|| Cooke, M. C., ‘‘ Handbook of British Fungi,” vol. i. pl. 1, fig. 2. 
{ ‘*Gardener’s Chronicle” (1869), p. 1066. 
