I 76 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



since. An inveterate fungus eater, who was with us 

 on one occasion when we collected a supply, took the 

 hint for himself and imitated at a distance, with what 

 success may be gathered from the fact that now he 

 thinks nothing of a walk of six or eight miles with 

 the prospect before him of a dish of Craterellus. 



XXVI.— JEW'S EARS. 



This name has been applied to several different 

 fungi having some fancied resemblance to ears. \k\ 

 some parts of England the large "ground cups" or 

 Pezizce, and particularly. Peziza venosa, are called 

 Jew's ear, but the one which has the sanction of age 

 and universality is the Hirneola, the Jew's ear of elder 

 stumps not uncommon in this country. It has never 

 been regarded here as an edible fungus, but, in some 

 parts of the world, it has no small reputation in that 

 sense. The scientific name is Hirneola auricula- 

 Judace, which is written down here to show that the 

 cognomen of Jew's ear is present even in the botani- 

 cal name, and is corroboration of its accurate use in 

 connection with the Hirneola. It is rather a gelatin- 

 ous, flabby-looking, thin, expanded cup, or saucer- 

 like fungus of a brownish colour when fresh, smooth 

 in the inside and veined or plaited, so as to have 

 some resemblance to a human ear. Outside it is 



