2 20 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



should be attempted. The dark colour of genuine 

 ketchup is due to the dark spores of the mushroom, 

 held in solution, but unchanged in form or colour. 

 A drop of the fluid under the microscope can be 

 challenged instantly as to whether it is mushroom 

 ketchup or not. We need not enquire how the 

 spurious concoction is made, as we have only to deal 

 with the genuine. 



It is an error to suppose that good ketchup can 

 only be made from the two mushrooms above named, 

 for we should add also the wood mushroom {Agaricus 

 sylvaticus), the two species of Coprinus or deliques- 

 cent mushrooms {Coprinus comatus and Coprinus atra- 

 mentarius), and the two species of viscid, Gomphidius 

 (Gomphidius glutinosus and Gomphidius viscidus). 

 The warted mushroom (Agaricus rubescens) and 

 even the common velvety mushroom {Agaricus 

 velutinus) may be added to other species. All these 

 are ketchup mushrooms of the first class, but the 

 mushroom gatherers collect almost anything that 

 looks promising, and the Rev. M. J. Berkeley has 

 declared that the mixture of " all sorts " which he has 

 seen consigned to the pot in ketchup manufactories 

 would rather astonish an outsider. 



A very simple and effectual method of making 

 this excellent sauce is to wipe the mushrooms and 

 cut off the stems, laying the caps in a pan with the 

 gills upwards, and sprinkling them with salt, taking 

 care to exclude those which are maggoty. They 



