FUNGI. 389 
are brightly and variously coloured. One species, 
the Hymenogaster carotecolor, is of a rich orange hue, 
and communicates a clear lemon tint to substances 
with which it comes into contact. Most of the 
species are dry, but one abounds with a milky 
juice, and has the peculiar smell of the milky 
mushrooms. The Tuber magnatum or Italian 
truffle, which, from its high qualities and its great 
rarity, always fetches a large price in the market, 
has a smooth outer surface, and looks inside like 
a slice of pale beet-root. Some species have a 
strong scent of assafcetida, and are utterly detest- 
able. Modifications of shape, structure, and fructi- 
fication are very numerous among the truffles. 
Indeed it is doubtful if they can be regarded as 
plants with a distinct autonomy and independent 
existence ; being probably mere hypogzous or 
underground forms of common aérial fungi, such 
as mushrooms and Boleti or Pezizas, Helvellas 
and morels, whose true character and affinities are 
completely masked by their unusual mode of 
growth, or perhaps hybernating forms or totally 
abnormal conditions of mycelium or spawn. 
Such is a brief description of the most common 
and important of the edible fungi known or used 
in this country. The fatal mistakes which have 
been sometimes made, by confounding some of 
them with nearly allied species of a highly 
