FUNGI. 359 



Allied to the mushroom we have a fungus called the Champignon 

 {Marasmius oreades, fig. 835). This grows in rings, and is reputed 

 to be excellent eating. Berkeley says that it 

 is even finer in flavour than the mushroom. 

 Nevertheless a woman and two children who 

 partook of some at Plymouth last year were 

 seized fourteen hours afterwards with symp- 



... . . , . Fig. 835.— Champignon. 



toms of poisonmg : vomitmg and purgmg 



occurred, followed by delirium in the mother and convulsions in the 

 children. The children, aged six and thirteen, died three days after- 

 ward.s, but the mother gradually recovered. Some of the fungi were 

 sent up to Mr. Worthington Smith, and that fungologist immediately 

 ate half-a-dozen, after having cooked them. Within an hour or two 

 the usual symptoms of poisoning came on, with burning of the throat, 

 irresistible depression of spirits and disordered stomach, which, fortunately 

 for him, gradually passed off without more serious consequences. For 

 years I have attempted to discover a test for the discrimination of 

 wholesome from poisonous fungi, but have utterly failed. One eminent 

 fungologist recommended me to apply the juice to my tongue, and if 

 found acrid to discard the fungus. If the fungus smells disagreeably, it 

 should be thrown aside. The fungophagists speak of tons of valuable 

 food being wasted through neglect of fungi as articles of diet ; but con- 

 sidering that the poisonous have to be distinguished from the wholesome 

 among very numerous species, I am of opinion that we are not justified 

 in urging people to eat fungi indiscriminately, and would rather recom- 

 mend them to confine their choice to the mushroom, morel, and trufile. 

 Even these do not at all tinries agree with every person. Mr. Worthing- 

 ton Smith annually attends the Hereford Fungus Festival, where earnest 

 fungologists have a fungus banquet, and therefore he must be regarded 

 as a promoter of fungus-eating. Nevertheless this eminent fungologist, 

 with his family, were nearly poisoned by eating another fungus, the 

 Agaricus fertilis. The cooked specimen scarcely weighed half an 

 ounce, and yet Mr. Smith, his wife, and child suffered severely through 

 it. Mr. Smith states that the gastronomic qualities were excellent, so 



