I 74 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



it, until a suggestion of its being edible met our eyes 

 in a foreign book. Up to then we should have thought 

 as much of stewing our slippers as Craterellus cornu- 

 copioides. When dried it resembles strips of " upper 

 leather," and, at its best, scarce more inviting than the 

 thumb of a driving glove. Appearances in this case 

 were thoroughly deceptive, and we hasten to make 

 amends. 



This fungus is plentiful on the ground in autumn, 

 in Epping Forest and the New Forest, but its 

 structure and scientific position is wholly different 

 from any others which find a place in this volume. 

 There are no gills, or pores, or spines, and the surface 

 which bears the spores is almost smooth. However, 

 let us attempt its description. In shape it is a long 

 inverted cone, or trumpet, about three inches high, 

 two or three, or more, generally growing together, 

 with the thin end in the ground. At the top it is 

 about two inches broad, and hollow down to the 

 bottom, the substance not being thicker than' the 

 " upper leather " of a boot. The top edge is bent 

 over all round something like the end of a trumpet, 

 only more so, but it is flexuous, and lobed or split. 

 In colour the exposed surface at the mouth, which is 

 the inner surface of the horn, is a dingy brown, with 

 darker streaks. Outside it is almost black, with 

 a frosty bloom over it, like the " bloom " on a fresh 

 plum. This is the surface which bears the spores ; it 

 is not quite even, but with little shallow depressions, 



