FRAGRANT MUSHROOMS. 1 49 



inverted basin, then place in an oven for ten minutes, 

 and keep covered until placed on the table, when the 

 odour will be quite appetizing enough to make the 

 gourmet wish that the supply had not been so scanty. 

 As a friend once observed — " I am always vexed that 

 I cannot obtain sufficient of them to satisfy me." 



This introduction of the subject of fragrant mush- 

 rooms suggests allusion to two or three other species 

 which are characterised as edible, but we imagine not 

 particularly digestible. They are not so redolent 

 with the odour as the smaller species, but there is a 

 suggestion of the same odour, or nearly so, which is 

 at least pleasant. One of these supplementary species 

 is called Lentinus cochleatus, which is found usually in 

 the hollows of rotten stumps. There is a branched 

 stem deeply buried in the wood, each branch of which 

 bears a cap of somewhat irregular or contorted fan 

 shape, suggesting the tree loving species of the oyster 

 mushroom kind, but with this difference that it is 

 tougher in texture, becoming quite hard when dry, 

 and the edge of the gills are toothed or saw-like, as 

 though they had been gnawed by some insect. 

 There is a peculiar reddish tint throughout the whole 

 cluster, caps and stem, both within and without, the 

 caps being sometimes two or three inches broad. 

 The pinkish-white gills run downwards on the stem. 

 It is not at all a common fungus, and its chief interest 

 consists in the faint anise-like odour which pervades 

 it. We never felt any inclination to test its qualities 



