FUNGI. 379 
growing gregariously in large rings. It is easily 
known by its pale bistre or purple-lilac colour, and 
its rather overpowering odour. Every one is 
familiar with the common champignon or Scotch 
bonnets, which form those sour ringlets in the 
grassy meadows popularly called fairy rings, 
strangely attributed by some authors to the effects 
of electricity, and by others, more poetically and 
quite as truly, to the fairies as the traces of 
their moonlight revels. This curious fungus, the 
Marasmius oreades of botanists, though tough and 
strongly tasted, is sometimes used as an article 
of food in this country, but too frequently very 
different and poisonous fungi are gathered under 
the name. It isalmost always gregarious, growing 
ina centrifugal manner, increasing its circle year 
by year, while the individuals in the centre decay, 
and impart by their decay to the grass at the edge 
a more vivid green than that of the rest of the 
meadow. Among the recent species generally 
admitted as wholesome may be mentioned the 
Parasol Agaric (Agaricus procerus, Fig. 29). It is 
known by the thick skin of its cap, which breaks up 
into distinct scales. It is greatly esteemed on the 
Continent, where it is known in Italy as the dudbola 
magegtore, in Spain as the cogomelos,in France as 
the coulemelle, and in Germany as the parasol 
schwamm. In almost every rich pasture, and often 
