1 68 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



another species, Terfezia leonis, is of common use as 

 an article of food. 



The soils in which edible truffles are found in 

 France are always calcareous, or calcareous clays. 

 T. mesentericum occurs, however, in ferruginous sands, 

 as is also the case with another species, Hydnotrya 

 Tulasnei, which, or a closely allied kind, is largely 

 eaten in Bohemia, under the name of Czerwena 

 Tartoffle. 



Some persons have supposed that these fungi are 

 parasitic on the roots of trees. This the Tulasnes 

 deny, and so also does Mr Broome. Some trees appear, 

 however, to be more favourable to the production of 

 truffles than others. Oak and hornbeam are especially 

 mentioned, but, besides these, chestnut, birch, box, and 

 hazel are alluded to. Old truffle hunters in this 

 country usually obtained them chiefly under beech, 

 and in mixed plantations of fir and beech. It would 

 seem that three or four months suffice for their de- 

 velopment. They are said to be about as large as 

 grains of millet in the beginning of October, and 

 must acquire their full size before the end of 

 December. 



Many attempts have been made to subject these 

 fungi to a regular system of culture, but hitherto 

 almost without success. Borch and Bornholz state 

 that a compost was prepared of pure mould and 

 vegetable soil, mixed with dry leaves and sawdust, 

 in which, when properly moistened, mature truffles 



