﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  

  

  which 
  is 
  found 
  growing 
  in 
  rings, 
  and 
  the 
  pileus 
  at 
  

   first 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  brownish 
  ochre, 
  becoming 
  paler 
  as 
  it 
  

   grows 
  older, 
  until 
  it 
  fades 
  into 
  a 
  rich 
  cream 
  colour. 
  

   Another 
  species 
  is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  mixed 
  with 
  it, 
  

   which 
  might 
  perhaps 
  by 
  carelessness 
  be 
  mistaken 
  for 
  

   it, 
  but 
  not 
  if 
  the 
  two 
  are 
  compared. 
  The 
  taste 
  of 
  

   Marasmius 
  wrens, 
  the 
  latter 
  species, 
  is 
  acrid, 
  and 
  the 
  

   gills 
  yellowish 
  or 
  brownish, 
  and 
  narrower 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  

   true 
  champignon 
  : 
  the 
  stem 
  of 
  both 
  is 
  alike 
  solid, 
  but 
  

   in 
  the 
  spurious 
  kind 
  clothed 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  down 
  at 
  the 
  

   base, 
  whilst 
  in 
  the 
  edible 
  kind 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  naked. 
  A 
  

   third 
  allied 
  species 
  {Marasmius 
  peronatus) 
  is 
  some- 
  

   times 
  found 
  in 
  woods, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  generally 
  larger, 
  and 
  

   has 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  clothed 
  with 
  yellow 
  stiff 
  hairs 
  

   or 
  bristles. 
  (PI. 
  14, 
  lower 
  figure.) 
  As 
  we 
  should 
  not 
  

   search 
  for 
  the 
  true 
  champignon 
  in 
  woods, 
  there 
  is 
  

   less 
  fear 
  of 
  mistaking 
  this 
  species. 
  There 
  is 
  scarcely 
  

   a 
  more 
  delicious 
  fungus 
  than 
  the 
  champignon, 
  and 
  the 
  

   chance 
  of 
  confounding 
  other 
  species 
  with 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  

   imaginary 
  than 
  real. 
  The 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  Eev. 
  M. 
  J. 
  

   Berkeley 
  is 
  strongly 
  in 
  its 
  favour: 
  — 
  " 
  When 
  of 
  a 
  good 
  

   size 
  and 
  quickly 
  grown, 
  it 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  best 
  of 
  all 
  

   fungi 
  for 
  the 
  table, 
  whether 
  carefully 
  fried 
  or 
  stewed 
  

   with 
  an 
  admixture 
  of 
  fiia-ly-minced 
  herbs 
  and 
  a 
  minute 
  

   portion 
  of 
  garlic. 
  It 
  is 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  tender 
  and 
  

   easy 
  of 
  digestion, 
  and 
  when 
  once 
  its 
  use 
  is 
  known 
  and 
  

   its 
  characters 
  ascertained, 
  no 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  with 
  

   less 
  fear. 
  It 
  is 
  so 
  common 
  in 
  some 
  districts 
  that 
  bushels 
  

   may 
  be 
  gathered 
  in 
  a 
  day." 
  They 
  may 
  also 
  be 
  readily 
  

   dried 
  by 
  stringing 
  the 
  caps 
  together 
  on 
  a 
  thread 
  and 
  

  

  v 
  

  

  