Notes on Fungi. 355 



at Burnham Beeches, and, if Fries is correct, the esculent white- 

 seeded species, A. marhii, which occurs in cellars at Vienna, on 

 wine casks and mouldering beams, is the same thing. Other 

 species have the gills very decurrent. Of these, A. ostreatus 

 is common on various trees, especially the laburnum, and is con- 

 sidered esculent, but it must be a very coarse, unpleasant food, 

 and care must be taken not to confound it with A. Euosmos, a 

 poisonous kind, known by its scent, like that of tarragon, and 

 its pale pink spores. A fatal accident was nearly occurring 

 to a schoolmaster in Suffolk from confounding the two species. 

 Curious specimens of A. ostreatus sometimes occur in cellars, 

 bearing multitudes of minute, imperfectly formed pilei, and 

 packed into a large mass which looks like a cauliflower. 



In a third section the stem entirely vanishes, or exists only in 

 a very early stage of growth, and the surface of the pileus rests 

 on the matrix instead of the gills. In some of these the cuticle 

 consists of a thick gelatinous coat, or there is a similar stratum 

 in the substance. The species are many of them interesting 

 from their form, colour, and sculpture, and as exhibiting the 

 most degraded type which can be assumed by the genus. In a 

 few the substance of the pileus is a mere membrane, and almost 

 the whole plant consists of gills. Fig. 10 represents A. appli- 

 catus, which is a good example of the section. 



Most of the species of this subgenus grow on wood, a few 

 only on the ground. A. tremulus sometimes occurs on decayed 

 fungi. The species do not dry up in decay, but become putres- 

 cent, which distinguishes them from the genus Panus. Most of 

 the large species appear to be esculent. A. corticatus, which has 

 occurred at Belvoir, is one of the most beautiful of British Fungi. 

 The figures are all more or less reduced. 



DESCRIPTION OP PLATE. 

 Fungi [white-scored mushrooms, ringless or excentric). 



1. — Agaricus colossus. 

 2. — A. gambosus. 



3. — A. carneus. 



4. — A. geotropus. 



5. — A. fusipes. 



6. — Agaricus racemosus. 

 7. — A. affricatus. 



8. — A. sanguinolentus. 



9. — A. dryinus. 



10. — A. applicatus. 



VOL. VII.-— NO. V. A A 



