ESCULENT MUSHROOMS. 
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equal at both ends, the stalk solid, attenuated 
at the very base, but thickened just above, 
and the ring persistent hanging round the 
stalk. 
3. A. castaneus. — Stipes from one to three 
inches long, light lilac, furnished with a 
delicate veil of floccose threads : pileus some- 
what fleshy, convex when young, but becoming 
umbonate in age, chestnut colour, from one to 
three inches broad : gills ventricose, light 
purple changing to ferrugineous. — This is a 
common species, growing in numerous circu- 
lar patches under shady trees, and occurring 
in summer and autumn. In a raw state its 
taste resembles that of A. oreacles, but it has 
no smell ; it is reported to be esculent. 
4. A. comatus. — Stipes four inches high 
and upwards, somewhat bulbous at the base, 
white, hollow, with a moveable ring : pileus 
cylindrical, splitting and turning up at the 
edges, white, covered with woolly scales, 
often showing the colour of the gills : gills 
numerous, free, white when young, then pink, 
and finally black : flesh thick in the centre, 
very thin at the margins. — Young specimens 
of this very fugacious species may be used 
either for ketchup or for table. It is very 
common in rich pastures, waste ground, and 
in kitchen gardens, and is found in early 
spring and in autumn. It is subgregarious. 
5. A. deliciosus. — Stipes one to two inches 
high, tapering downwards, hollow with age : 
pileus fleshy, three to four inches across, glu- 
tinous, dingy orange, obscurely zoned, the 
margin at first involute, then expanded, after- 
wards depressed : gills decurrent, narrow, of 
the colour of the pileus : flesh and juice, 
orange-coloured, changing to green on expo- 
sure. — This is called the Orange-milk Agaric, 
and is much esteemed in Italy, where it is 
exposed in the markets ; and Sir J. E. Smith, 
who met with it in prodigious quantities in 
the market of Marseilles, speaks of it as the 
most delicious mushroom known ; neverthe- 
less, others speak of it as being more or less 
acrid, though much esteemed. The best way 
to cook them is, after duly seasoning with pep- 
per and salt, to put a piece of butter upon each, 
and to bake them in a closely covered pie-dish 
for three quarters of an hour. (Baclham.) 
6. A. excoriatus. — Stipes smooth white, 
tapering upwards, three inches high, hollow, 
with a fine loose silky pith and a permanent 
ring : pileus convex, bossed, tawny, the outer 
skin tearing as the plant enlarges ; two to 
three inches over : gills loose, white, the 
edges finely serrated : flesh white. — This kind 
is nearly related to A. procerus. It is found 
under trees in the autumn, and is very whole- 
some : it makes a fine ketchup. 
7. A. exquisitus. — Stipes from two to five 
inches long, solid, whitish, furnished with a 
strong persistent collar : pileus fleshy convex, 
white or pale yellowish, mostly smooth, four 
to twelve inches broad or more : gills numer- 
ous, broad, whitish or very pale flesh colour, 
changing to deep purple-brown : flesh thick, 
white, changing yellowish on being cut, and 
in some cases exuding a yellow juice. — This 
is the largest of English Agarics, and is more 
commonly known under the name of Agaricus 
Georgii, or the horse-mushroom : one of 
these has been known to weigh 14 lbs. This 
species is decidedly inferior to the common 
mushroom ; it may be eaten in moderation, 
cooked in the same way as the mushroom ; 
and when young is sold under the name of 
White-caps for making ketchup. It is met 
with in meadows, woods, and near buildings, 
frequently in autumn. 
8. A. fusipes. — Stipes four to five inches 
high, tapering downwards, ribbed, varying 
singularly both in length and breadth : pileus 
fleshy, with large hollows and protuberances, 
dirty white deeply tinged with reddish brown, 
1 sometimes set almost parallel to the stem : 
gills free, serrated, dirty white, rusty brown 
at the edges : flesh spongy. — This species is 
frequently found in summer and autumn, 
after rain, at the foot of old oak trees, grow- 
ing in clusters. The young plants make an 
excellent pickle ; and the full grown ones are 
good dressed in any of the same ways as the 
mushroom. 
9. A. heterophyllus.— Stipes naked, variable 
in length and size, white like spermaceti, 
meshed like the pileus with minute meander- 
ing lines: pileus from four to five inches across, 
very variable in colour, the margin irregu- 
larly elevated and depressed, at first convex 
then more or less excavated towards the 
centre, mostly smooth, more or less moist, 
never scored, but marked by raised lines, 
which frequently cross so as to present a 
finely reticulated network. — This species 
grows in great abundance during the summer 
months generally. It is excellent and very 
wholesome, but there must be no delay in 
dressing it, as insects are very fond of and 
soon devour it ; the flesh being very tender, 
requires but slight cooking. 
10. A. melleus. — Stipes fibrous, enlarged 
above and below, from one to ten inches 
long : pileus dirty yellow, more or less hairy : 
gills somewhat decurrent. — This, which is re- 
commended by continental writers, is nauseous 
and disagreeable however cooked — though 
not poisonous. 
11 A. nebularis. — Stijws from two to four 
inches long, incurved at the base, firm ex- 
ternally, softer within ; pileus at first de- 
pressed convex, then nearly flat; margin at 
fii*st involute, smooth, viscid when moist, 
grey-brown at the centre : gills cream coloured, 
