Agaricus fimetarius Egg Mushroom. 



AGARICUS Linnai Gen. PL Cryptogamia Fungi. 



Fungus horizontalis fubtus lamellofus» 



Raii Syn. Gen. i. Fungi. 

 AGARICUS fimetarius ftipitatus, pileo campanulato lacero, lamellis nigris lateraliter flexuofis, ftipite 



fiftulofo. 



Lin. Syjl. Yegetab. p. 820. Spec. Pi. p> 1643. &' ^ ec ' iC - n > l%1 %* 



AMANITA albus, campanulatus, fquamofus, nigrefcens. Haller. hifi. heh. p. 157. n. * 2357, 



AGARICUS fimetarius. Scopoli PI. Carniol n. 1484. 



AGARICUS pileo campanulato, contracto, ftriato et villofo, lamellis tenuimmis ; petiolo cylindraceo, 

 annulo fugaci, diftin&o, vel nullo. GleditCh. Fung. p. 122. 



FUNGUS albus ovum referens. Buxbaum. Cent. 4. /. 27. fig. 1. Rail Syn. p. 5. ft, 22. Hudfon. Fl, 

 AngL p. 493. Lightfoot. PL Scot. p. 102 1. Schaffir tab. 7, 8. 46. 47. 100. 



Gregatim plerumque nafcuntur hi Fungi, fubinde vero | 



folitarii inveniuntur. | 



STIPES primum pileo penitus obtegitur, mox femipe- % 



dalis, evadit, cylindricus, fiftulofus, albiffimus, | 



medulla filiformi, intra tubum libera. y 



VOLVx^ nulla, fed margo inftar volvas ex margine pi- 

 lei lacero ftipitem cingente infra laminas. 



PILEUS albus, in junioribus oblongus digitalis, mox 

 fubcampanulatus, demum fere planus ; Caro 

 tenuis, Cutis in fquamas fufcas laciniatas furfum 

 revolutas feparans, qua ccelo intempeftivo pluviis 

 faepe abluuntur, pileo decorticato albo relicto. 



LAMELLA numerofae, lineas tres late, primum albif- 

 fimze, farina quaft adfperfae, in adultis laxae, 

 flexuofe cum ruboris tinftura, demum nigri- 

 cantes, in liquorem atramentofum difHuentes. 



Thefe Mufhrooms ' moft commonly rife out of the 

 ground in clutters, fometimes they growfingly. 



STALK at firft is wholly covered by the Pileus or Cap, 

 but foon grows to the height of fix inches, is 

 cylindrical, hollow and very white, the pith 

 within the tube isjhaped like a thread and loofe. 

 I RING proper, none, but a flight edging like a ring from 

 the torn edge of the cap furrounds the ftalk 

 below the gills. 



CAP white, in the young ones oblong, the length of 

 the finger, prefently becoming fomewhat bell- 

 fhaped, finally almoft flat; the Flesh thin; 

 the Skin feparating into brown flakes which curl 

 upwards, and which in fhowery weather are 

 often warned off by the rains, leaving the Cap 

 naked and white, 



GILLS numerous, three lines broad, at firft exceeding 

 white and covered as it were with powder, 

 when full grown they are loofely connected 

 and waved, with a tinge of red, finally they 

 become black and diffolve into an inky liquor. 



The Fungi, generally known in Englifh by the names of Mufhrooms and Toad-flools, are a tribe of plants, which, 

 while they have afforded abundant matter of curious inquiry to the philofophic naturalift, have hitherto eluded the 

 moft unwearied attempts of the Botanift to reduce them to their feveral fpecies and varieties. 



Although, in point of Utility to mankind, they may not compare with many other families of plants, yet are 

 they by no means without their importance in the general ceconomy of nature. Whatever is not immediately ap- 

 plicable to our own wants, we are apt to think too lightly of; forgetting, that the infinitely more numerous Inha- 

 bitants of this terraqueous Globe, are equally the objects of the care of an all bountiful Creator. 



A great variety of Infects feed on the different fpecies of Fungi, particularly the larva or maggots, of many of the 

 Fly kind, Mufca Linn. 



In fome Countries, Mufhrooms are made much more an object of food than with us; this prompts the inhabitants 

 often to eat fuch as are in their natures poifonous, whence direful effects have too often proceeded. With us 

 they are ufed more as an article of luxury, and the markets being chiefly fupplied by the cultivators of them, who 

 propagate one particular fpecies, thefe fatal accidents fcarce ever happen here. 



To prevent, however, any accidents of this kind, perhaps the beft advice would be to caution perfons in general, 

 to meddle with no other fort than the common field Mufhroom, which is generally cultivated ; and rather to pro- 

 cure fuch of thofe who cultivate them, than of thofe who may occafion ally offer them to fale : and to render a know- 

 ledge of this fpecies more obvious, we propofe, in a future number, to give a figure of it in all its ftates, and mail 

 endeavour to diftinguifh it from the others in the plaineft manner. 



_ From the obfervations already made on this Genus, we are led to think, that the feveral fpecies of them are more 

 dift ind, and lefs liable to thofe amazing alterations, which Botanifts inform us of, and which indeed, are fufficient 

 to intimidate the Student, and deter him, from entering on a field, where he is to expect nothing but confufion, and 

 be loft in the perplexing mazes of endlefs varieties. There is one pleafing circumftance attends the Fungi: they 

 make their principal appearance in Autumn, at a time of the year, when the Botanift is moft at leifure to obferve 

 them^ and when fcarce any other plants engage his attention. Next fucceed the wintry Mofles : and thus the 

 Botanifts perpetual fummer is rendered compleat. 



The fpecies here figured is not eaten with us ; yet there appears no reafon to fufpect its being in any degree 

 poifonous. 



It occurs very frequently, towards the end of September, by the fides of Roads, growing out of the ground, 

 probaly where there has been fome dung intermixed. 



It isdiftinguifhed from the other Fungi by its oblong oval fhape ; and in a more particular manner, by the ragged- 



nefs of 



mero 



like many others of the fame kind. 



of its outer coat, which curls up in flakes-, but it is apt to be wafhed off in heavy rains. The gills are large, nu- 

 merous, and waved, _ at firft of a reddifh purple colour, and often white, finally difolving into a black liquid, 



