88 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



established by the oozing of the orange milk, and 

 even whilst held in the hand that orange will gradu- 

 ally become of a dirty green. 



The whole substance of this mushroom is firm and 

 compact to the touch, cutting like ah apple or pear, 

 but it has not an attractive appearance on account of 

 the livid green stains. 



We cannot close these observations on the milky 

 mushrooms without one or two remarks upon the 

 strictures which some have expressed. In one book 

 before us it is stated that " The milk fungi are 

 suspicious as a group ; this is the only one we can at 

 all recommend." Against this sweeping condemna- 

 tion we have already described three other species, 

 and we might add three more which are named in 

 our list, but we will rest content with a hint that it 

 is not advisable to give a dog a bad name without 

 sufficient cause. 



There is a large white milk mushroom, common in 

 woods, with a cap six or eight inches in diameter 

 (Lactarius piperatus), and rather a peppery white 

 milk. In this country it has been condemned by all 

 authors, one after the other, as poisonous, or at the 

 best very suspicious. And yet this same fungus, 

 which is ready of determination, is eaten on the Con- 

 tinent, and Dr Curtis wrote to the Rev. M. J. 

 Berkeley that he had constantly eaten it in the 

 United States, and considered it excellent. We are 

 not prepared to recommend it without first eat- 



