THE BOLETI OF THE BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT. 
267 
in Sutton Park, New Park, Middleton, and Packington Park, 
and at Hints, Berkswell, Langley, and Colesliill Pool. 
Withering found it in Edgbaston Park, and at ‘‘Barr,” 
Staffordshire; Purton on Oversley Hill; Mr. Bagnall at 
Baddesley Clinton; and Mr. Southall at Yardley Wood. 
This species certainly does not deserve the name “ edible ” 
more than />. badius, which I fancy is often mistaken for it. 
In fact, I was induced to venture upon eating the latter 
species by this belief, confirmed by the strong resemblance 
which the figures named />. edulis in Berkeley’s “Outlines” 
(pi. 15, f. 0), and in the first edition of Cooke’s “ Plain and 
Easy Account of British Fungi ” (pi. 15), bear to B. badius — 
a resemblance so striking as to induce one to believe that 
they may have been actually drawn from specimens of the 
latter species, especially as they do not particularly resemble 
that which they are said to be. The inference is that many 
a British mycophagist must have eaten B. badius, when he 
believed himself to be indulging safely in B. edulis. 
To the next species of this section, B. impulitus, I have 
referred, but very doubtfully, a few specimens which I gathered 
near Bradnock’s Marsh in the summer of 1884 ; these must 
wait for confirmation. The last of the four, B. astir al is, I 
have found at Fen End. It is a most striking species, 
especially from its very thick stem. 
The fifth section, “ Luridi,” also contains four species, all 
intensely poisonous ; one, again, is not on record. The first, 
with a fine significant name, B. Satanas, I have found in 
Packington Park and at Fen End. The second, B. luridus , 
equally poisonous, is more common. I have seen it at 
Streetley, Langley, Berkswell, Hampton, in Packington Park, 
and near to Lappal Tunnel. Mr. Southall gathered it at 
Yardley Wood; Mr. Bagnall at Shustoke and Middleton; 
Mrs. Bussell at Kenilworth ; Withering found it in Edgbaston 
Park; and Purton at Oversley Hill and near Cold Camfort. 
The crimson pores and stem, and the olive or lurid-red pilous 
of this are in themselves sufficient to warn one against it, 
and its disagreeable aspect is increased by the fact that the 
bright yellow flesh, when broken, turns to a nauseous green 
sc swiftly that it really requires a little knowledge of gymnas¬ 
tics to be able to catch a glimpse before it changes. 
To the third species, B. erythropus, I refer some specimens 
gathered in Sutton Park and at Coleshill Pool, in 1883, which 
resembled B. luridus but differed in their more slender stature 
and stem everywhere punctato-scabrous and not reticulated. 
They did not exactly agree with the description of that 
species, it is true, but I do not know where else to refer them, 
