107 
cimens of natural history. It consists in introducing a few drops 
of prussic acid into a box closed as tightly as possible, and pla- 
cing therein the infested article, when the destruction of insects 
will be very quick, as will be seen from their falling down to 
the bottom of the box, which has sometimes been quite covered 
with them, although a small quantity only of the acid has been 
employed. 
144 Truffle, observations on. Although the edible Truffle 
(Tuber cibarium) is indigenous to several parts of England, it 
is very little known; and the tables of the opulent are usually 
supplied with it, somtimes at an exorbitant price, from the con- 
tinent. It is universally admitted to be far superior to the 
mushroom, or other of the fungi; notwithstanding this, we be- 
lieve that no successful attempt to cultivate it in England has 
been made, a circumstance which should stimulate gardeners 
to surmount the difficulty, if any really exist. The Germans 
have preceded us in their attention to this subject, and two of 
their works have been lately translated by F. Mascall, Esq. 
From these 3Ir. Loudon has given a long article in his Gard- 
ener’s jMagazine, to which we are indebted for the following con- 
cise extracts. 3Iuch is said on the subject of training dogs, 
and even |)igs to discover the truffle in its native habitat, but 
our more immediate object is to invite attention to its culture 
in situations where it may be collected without such aid. With 
connoisseurs the Truffle is said to be in higher estimation than 
the pine-apple amongst ffnit, or the oyster amongst bivalves, 
therefore it may be presumed that persons who possess favour- 
able situations for their growth will gladly avail themselves of 
instructions for their culture, either to enhance the })leasures of 
the table or as a source of profit. 
145 Truffle; a description of. It is of a round form, more 
or less approaching to that of a sphere, or of an egg, or some- 
times kidney-shaped, and somewhat rough with protuberances. 
The colour of the surface is, when it is young, whitish; but in 
those that are full grown, it is either blackish or a deep black. 
The colour of the inside is whitish, with dark blue and white, 
grey, reddish, light brown, or dark brown veins, of the thickness 
of a horse-hair, which are usually variously entangled, and 
which form a kind of net-work, or mat. Between the veins are 
numerous cavities, filled with a great deal of mucilage and small 
AUCTAKIU3I 
