Notes on Fungi. 33 



A. arvensis, the horse mushroom, or incorrectly, St. George's 

 mushroom, is a large coarse species, in general occurring in 

 rings, but sometimes in scattered groups, and is known 

 at once from the true mushroom by its tendency to become 

 yellow, and sometimes intensely yellow, when bruised, and 

 its paler and at length more dingy gills. In its more 

 normal state it is of a pure white, hemispherical and very 

 fleshy, with a ring which looks as if it were made up of two, 

 one within the other. Small conical varieties, however, occur, 

 and others which are scaly and of a tawny yellow tint, as in 

 A. augustus. To this, perhaps, the variety called A. villaticus in 

 the Outlines of British Fungology, is referable, rather than to 

 A. campestris* Most of the varieties are wholesome, and while 

 in Italy A. campestris is rejected, this has obtained the name 

 of A. exquisitus, while in France it is well known under the 

 name of Boule de Neige. Great prejudice exists in many parts 

 of the kingdom against this species, which is rejected by most 

 professed cooks and housekeepers on account of its turning 

 yellow ; but in some parts of England it is highly esteemed, 

 while in London it forms far the greater part of the mush- 

 rooms which appear in the market. It is, however, almost 

 universally used for ketchup, for which purpose it is far 

 superior to many of the doubtful if not dangerous species 

 which enter into that frequently questionable condiment. 

 There is a variety mentioned by Mrs. Hussey, as the hedge 

 mushroom, which grows in tufts under hedges, and though 

 innocuous in ketchup, produces, when eaten, violent sickness. 

 This never has the least tinge of yellow, and the pileus is 

 regularly covered with small brown scales. Another form 

 — much like it — mentioned by Mrs. Hussey, which grows on the 

 borders of woods, and which turns of a yellow red when 

 bruised, is, on the contrary, very highly valued. This, however, 

 was considered by Dr. Badham, a form of A. campestris, and I 

 am inclined to subscribe to his opinion. It was probably on 

 this variety that a village schoolmaster, in Northamptonshire, 

 who found it for many weeks in succession in an open planta- 

 tion, nearly kept his family, without their experiencing the 

 slightest inconvenience. I am not able to speak positively as 

 to the species, as I never saw an individual, but his description 

 and the locality pointed in this direction. 



Of the merits of A. campestris, it is not necessary to say 

 much, as every one, in this country at least, is pretty well satis- 



* Dr. Badham writes respecting it : — " Do you meet -with this scaly form of 

 A. exquisitus in Northamptonshire? it is the first time I have seen it here, and 

 but for the yellow tinge exuding from it when cut, and the grey gills, I should 

 have supposed it a scaiy specimen of A. campestris, which is often coated with 

 similar brown scales." Brondeau's A. villaticus is vinous when bruised, in which 

 character alone it differs from that of Dr. Badham. 



VOL. X. — NO. I. D 



