Murrill: Illustrations of Fungi 



259 



much, being pure white, yellowish, brownish or blackish. Some- 

 times the surface is perfectly smooth and at other times it is 

 adorned with pieces of the " death-cup," which were carried up 

 on it when the cap burst through the roof of the " egg." 



When gathering mushrooms it is exceedingly important to get 

 all of the stem and not leave a portion of it in the ground, since 

 the " death-cup " may thus be overlooked. Mushrooms should 

 not be gathered in the " button " stage unless mature specimens 

 are growing in the same place, otherwise an "egg" of one of 

 the poisonous kinds may be collected by mistake. 



If distress is experienced within four or five hours after eating 

 mushrooms, it is probably a case of indigestion or minor poison- 

 ing and should readily yield to a prompt emetic. If, however, 

 from eight to twelve hours have elapsed since eating the mush- 

 rooms, disagreeable symptoms should be taken very seriously, 

 since it is almost certain that one of the deadly narcotic poisons 

 is at work. A physician should at once be called and the heart 

 action stimulated by a hypodermic injection of about one sixtieth 

 of a grain of atropine, which should be repeated twice at half 

 hour intervals. Atropine is an antidote to the poison of the 

 " fly amanita," which paralyzes the nerves controlling the action 

 of the heart. If the "deadly amanita" has been eaten, the 

 atropine will probably do no good, and death will surely follow 

 if the amount eaten is sufficient. 



Lycoperdon gemmatum Batsch 

 Studded Puffball 



Plate 15. Figure 3. X § 



Peridium turbinate, subumbonate, usually whitish or gray, 2-4 

 cm. in diameter, narrowed below into a short, stem-like base; 

 cortex of long, erect spines or warts of irregular shape scattered 

 among small granular and more persistent ones, all of which 

 finally fall away, leaving the surface reticulated with fine dotted 

 lines; capillitium and spores greenish-yellow, at length pale 

 brown, columella present ; spores globose, smooth or slightly 

 roughened, about 4/x in diameter. 



This is a very common species, growing usually on the ground 



