48 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



inviting. Even when young the livid grey colour is 

 not attractive, and the patches of dirt adhering to the 

 cap help to render it only the more forbidding. 



The edible qualities of this mushroom are by no 

 means to be despised, especially when young, before 

 the gills have changed colour ; and after the latter 

 have turned quite black, but the dripping stage has 

 not commenced, either by themselves or mixed with 

 others they will yield an excellent '' catsup." Like 

 the preceding, they are preferable stewed, or added 

 to soups. 



It has already been mentioned that the black 

 fluid, caused by the melting of the gills, may be used 

 as ink, when mixed with gum water, so as to ensure 

 permanency. A curious proposal was made some 

 years ago to utilize this ink for printing bank notes, 

 and other documents subject to forgery. The advan- 

 tage being that at any period of time, by moistening 

 the letters, the large spores would appear quite 

 distinctly under the microscope, and the genuine ink 

 at once determined. Ordinary ink, having no such 

 origin, would present no such appearance. To verify 

 this, it is only necessary to write a word or two, by 

 dipping a pen in the fluid dripping from the gills of 

 a decaying Coprinus, allowing it to dry, and remain 

 dry for a few days, then damp it, and either remove 

 the ink by means of a clean camel-hair pencil to a 

 glass slide, or examine in situ, with the microscope, 

 and a quarter inch objective. Should such a sugges- 



