THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
3 
the very largest fung-us of any kind in the whole world. The 
specimen from which our plate was made was found in tlie 
Forest of Arden by Mr. H. C. Skeels and photographed by 
Prof. V. D. Hawkins. In the fresh state it measured twenty- 
tliree inches in diameter. At present it is deposited in the 
museum of the Joliet Township High School and is regarded 
as the largest museum specimen of this fungus in existence. 
Specimens as large as this are extremely rare, the usual size 
being seldom larger than a man's head. 
Calratia gigantca usually grows in grassy fields and is 
found in nearly all parts of the world. It is said to be espe- 
cially abundant in Xew Zealand. Most mycologists regard 
it as rare in America, and C. G. Lloyd, one of our most 
prominent students of the fungi, says he has seen it growing 
but once. This does not agree with the writer's experience, 
however, for he has seen hundreds of specimens growing in 
certain grassy fields in Pennsylvania, and when a boy found 
amusement in knocking the soft white globes to pieces. 
The greatest interest that attaches to the pufTballs in the 
popular mind is no doubt due to their edible qualities. Among 
the mushrooms there are certain poisonous species w hich re- 
quire great care to distinguish, but this is not true of the 
puffballs. Thus far not a single poisonous species has been 
reported. There is a curious passage in Creevey's "Recrea- 
tions in Botany."' in reference to puffballs, that is worth 
quoting. "The common puffball," she says, "deprives one 
who has eaten it of all power of motion, while his conscious- 
ness still remains, thus producing a sort of terrible trance, 
resembling death." This amazing statement is likely to 
amuse those mycophagists who are wont to dine on puff- 
balls almost daily while the>' are in season. 
Some specimens are tougher than others, but all are 
edible, if collected while the inside is still pure white. The 
giant puffball is one of the tenderest of the group, and when 
