Naucoria semi-orbicularis, another is a Stropharia. The Naucoria may 
. he eaten in small quantity, especially if mixed with the Marastnius, and 
do no. harm. Some people, indeed, eat it freely. Others, however, report 
that illness has been caused by it — yiolent and unpleasant, but not really 
dangerous. If this is true, then those who eat it for the first time should 
do so with caution. Nothing is so true in regard to mushrooms as the 
fact that what one person may eat another may not — and be comfort¬ 
able. A serious attack of illness, for instance, is reported from the eating 
of the common pasture mushroom; but the victim was new to mush¬ 
rooms, and may have suffered simply from aggravated indigestion. A 
more frequent cause* of such attacks, however, is carelessness in gathering. 
Something that is not edible is gathered for what is. With the Naucoria 
for example, or the Marastnius, some species of Stropharia is also picked, 
retained in the picking over, cooked, and eaten. To avoid such a 
mischance all the kinds of little brown-topped mushrooms that grow in 
the grass must be examined carefully. Marastnius oreades with its umbo, 
its distant gills lighter in color than the cap, and its white spores must 
be separated from Naucoria with its dark gills and brown spores, and 
from Stropharia with its still darker gills, and darker spores, and (incon¬ 
spicuous) ring. If eye and mind do not grasp these differences at once, 
they must be trained until they do. The same eyes and minds make 
much nicer distinctions between kinds and colors of dress materials, or 
between vegetables supplied by one market-gardener and another. Who 
is there that cannot tell a Florida orange from a Valencia, or a yellow 
plum from an apricot? If any such there be, let them get some one else 
to gather mushrooms for them. 
LACTARIUS is at this season represented by many species. The 
following are to be looked for. E.= edible. 
A. indigo Schw. Known by its blue color and blue juice. Reported 
from Middlesex Fells. 
A. deliciosus Fr. Yellowish or grayish orange, with brighter spots 
and zones ; gills orange, stained green when old ; does the orange milk 
turn green? E. Mossy swamps, etc. 
A. chelidonium Peck. Is duller colored than the last, with narrow 
gills; wounds turn blue, then green ; milk saffron yellow. Dry places. 
* In the following species the milk is at first white, then changes. 
A. chrysorheus Fr. Umbilicate, becoming funnel form, yellowish, with 
bright zones and spots, margin involute at first; gills yellowish ; stem 
hollow, glabrous ; milk becoming yellow ; acrid. Open woods. 
A. theiogalus Fr. Pileus tawny red, with gray and yellow, slightly 
viscid; gills whitish or creamy, often showing brown stains; milk and 
cut flesh changing to sulphur yellow; tardily acrid. Redder and less 
acrid than the last. Common. 
A. cilicioides Fr. Whitish flesh color, or buff, with long matted hairs 
covering the pileus; milk slowly changing to pale yellow; acrid. 
A. scrobiculatus Fr. Resembles A. theiogalus . but the pileus is tomen- 
tose, and is more yellowish; stem is spotted, whereas that of the last is 
not; milk becomes sulphur yellow ; acrid. 
* In the following the white or whitish milk does not change. 
A. turpis Fr. ? Cap and stem dark green and spotted. Moist woods. 
A. trivial is Fr. Glabrous, viscid, leaden-gray, or ashy-brown, often 
with a pinkish tint, margin inflexed; gills close, adnate, whitish or 
creamy, staining dingy green ; stem hollow, paler than the cap; spores 
vellowish ; acrid. 
