20 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



broken off from the freshly-gathered fungus, if tasted, 

 should possess an agreeable nutty flavour, with no 

 acridity, sharpness, or tingling upon the tongue. 

 And, further, it is a most suspicious indication of bad 

 qualities if a fungus when broken, cut, or bruised 

 speedily turns of a deep blue or greenish colour. 

 Avoid, therefore, all fungi with a disagreeable odour, 

 a pungency of flavour, and a tendency to become 

 blue when bruised. 



In order to facilitate our progress hereafter, and to 

 prevent repetition, it will be advisable at once to 

 explain the general features of a gill-bearing fungus, 

 of the mushroom type, with as little technicality as 

 possible. When these few simple terms are 

 thoroughly comprehended they can be alluded to 

 without explanation. Annexed is the outline of a 

 section cut through a fungus of the above kind, from 

 top to bottom. It will often be found very useful 

 and instructive to cut down such fungi as may be 

 met with, and compare the one with the other, care- 

 fully noting the minute differences. In the woodcut 

 a is the pileus, or cap, and b the stem which supports 

 it. The under side of the pileus, or cap, is occupied 

 by a series of parallel plates, or gills, c, which radiate 

 from the stem to the margin of the cap. A little 

 way down the stem is an indication, d, of the annulus, 

 or ring, which adheres to and surrounds the stem. 

 Some species have no ring, so that it is always of 

 importance to ascertain at once if the individual 



