2 22 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



able to an eastern or northern one. The cold north- 

 ern side of a wood only affords a few of the hardiest 

 species, but a warm moist slope, facing the south or 

 the west, is usually a happy hunting ground. If the 

 season is a very dry one the bottom of the slopes, 

 and all damp spots should be explored. Cleared 

 spots, where the undergrowth has been cut down, 

 presents such a changed condition that it is useless to 

 walk over it for two or three years after the clearing 

 has taken place. 



The majority of our woods are mixed woods, but 

 plantations of fir trees are useful in their way, 

 although the fungi are confined to a few species. 

 The fungi of fir woods will soon be recognised as 

 different from those in mixed woods, whilst such 

 things as yellow boleti and the red milk agaric 

 {Lactarius deliciosus) will only be found under fir trees. 



The tree-loving species are also a little eccentric in 

 their habits. The slimy white species found so 

 constantly on beech trunks {Agaricus mucidus) will 

 be seen scattered in clusters all over a dead beech 

 trunk whilst still standing, but only sparingly when 

 the trunk is prostrate. In some woods prostrate 

 timber is not allowed to be on the ground long 

 enough to produce a good crop of fungi, but, when 

 permitted, the oyster mushroom {Agaricus ostreatus) 

 will be found in large, dense clusters. We have 

 never been successful in finding it elsewhere than on 

 fallen timber, whereas the elm tree mushroom 



