THE OYSTER MUSHROOM. 1 43 



cap. The gills are very broad, according to the size 

 of the cap. In the large specimen named above 

 they were nearly an inch, and comparatively thick, 

 broadest in the centre ; attenuated towards the 

 margin and abrupt behind, with a notch, or rounded, 

 but not running down the stem as in all the species 

 mentioned above. The gills are of a creamy yellow, 

 so that when cut through in section, they contrast 

 against the pure white flesh. It has a very pleasant 

 taste when raw, and can be eaten with sandwiches on 

 a foray day with much satisfaction. There is so 

 little tendency to decay that it will remain perfectly 

 good and edible for several days. 



There are two or three others of the same group of 

 tree agarics with a one-sided stem which are re- 

 commended as edible, but these are mostly too rare 

 in this country to warrant their insertion here, inas- 

 much as a fungus which has to be hunted for 

 diligently, and not found more than once in ten 

 years, can hardly be relied upon as an article of 

 food. 



It may not be out of place here to call attention to 

 the fact that we do not suspect any one of our 

 indigenous species of agaric, such as we have de- 

 scribed, with white spores, and a one-sided stem, to 

 be other than thoroughly harmless. We might as well 

 add that we believe them all to be wholesome, even 

 though some might be rather tough. This assurance 

 may give courage to those who feel nervous, under 



