190 
TPIE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 
December 9. 
eatable fungi, that we consider we are now too old to he 
taught? No markets might ho hetter supplied with such 
fungi than tiie English, in spring and autumn, and yet with 
the exception of tlie common mushroom, they are I'arely 
exposed for public sale. 
Out of at least thii’ty esculent species (including most of 
those eaten on the Continent) indigenous to our British 
isles, only two or three are commonly eaten, and this with 
agricultural distress and the poverty of the poor, wliile 
abundance of nutritious and wholesome food surrounds 
them on all sides and rots beneath their feet; food which on 
the. Continent not only supplies the eatable diet of thousands 
of the poorer classes, hut also luxuries to the rich, which in 
this land both classes of society are deprived of, and Great 
Britain continues to he the only country in Europe in which 
tills valuable food is wasted and despised. 
I’erhaps the undisturbed peace and iirosperity of our land, 
wdiieli enables us to cultivate and obtain abundant supplies of 
the productions of other countries, induces us to believe that 
our own natural productions are almost unworthy of notice. 
The Chinese present a strildng contrast to ourselves, in 
the attention paid to their esculent vegetation, having 
printed annually some thousand copies of a work describing 
those plants which are suitable for food, and distributing 
them gratuitously to the poor in those localities which are 
most exposed to natural calamities. Such an instance of 
provident solicitude on the part of the Chinese, for the 
lower classes, may be suggestive in our own land, and a 
more general knowledge of native plants useful in medicine, 
domestic economy, and the arts, would be an important and 
interesting branch of education. 
AVitb the exception of the common Mushroom and the 
Truilel, scarcely a single species is generally known ; the 
Morell is so local and scarce that it seldom axipears at table, 
and tbe greater portion sold are probably imported. The 
much esteemed Cnutharelliis cUiarius is but little know'll, 
except to the Freemasons wdio keep the secret. I quite 
agree with Dr. Badliam, when he states, that we should be 
rendering a better service if we applied ourselves to the 
task of discriminating the esculent from the poisonous fungi, 
rather than condemn thenr universally, because we cannot 
at a glance select the good from the bad, and will not pay 
that attention to them they so justly deserve, nor does it 
speak favonraljly of the superiority of the hrrman race, and 
the proper employment of their faculties, when they allow 
the bnrte creation to surpass them in their diagnosis of food. 
I shall now errrrmerate, separately, the esculent species of 
most importance, as mentioned by Dr. Badham, comnrencing 
with the Ayarks; in doing this, I shall not pretend to give 
the discriminating characters, as I consider no one ought to 
commence collecting thenr for the table, withorrt some 
previous botanical knowledge, or the assistance of some 
botanical friend, in which case, of course, they would 
possess themselves of some scientific work itpon the subject. 
But should they not investigate the subject themselves, I 
should advise them rrot to check the jirogress of others 
laboirring in the field, while their want of knowledge will 
rrot justify them in giving an opiniorr, as by so doing tliey 
may irrjure others, without themselves deriving any benefit. 
; Ayaricus priintiliis. —This fungirs is highly esteemed, arrd 
1 much sought after, particrrlarly as it occurs in spring only, 
I wherr fungi generally are of rare occurrerree; the borders 
of woods and pastures is the proper jrlace to seek it. I have 
, rrot found this fungus. 
A. procerus. — This is a very handsonre and delicate 
frrngits, and by no means rare, growirrg plerrtifully late iir 
the sirmirrer and autumn, on downs, itc. I have found it 
abrrndairt iir Hackwood Park, rrear Basingstoke ; orr the 
commoir near Odihanr ; at Hornsey, Middlesex; and on the 
banks of Loch-, Ireland. This is a very agreeable, 
; wlrolesome, and nutritiorrs fungus in its raw state. 
A. campeslris. — Although most persons would feel in- 
, dignarrt were they accused of not being able to select, 
without doirbt, the common mushroom fronr its thousands 
of companions, it may be well to remark, that there are 
several varieties of the common mu.shroom, arrd that many 
I of their despised, though equally valuable neighbours, might 
be recognised with eqrral facility, if the veil of prejudice 
which dims the vision was for a short tiirre discarded. 
A. cxqmsitus (Horse Mrrshroom).—This fungus is rrrrrch 
larger and coarser than tbe common mushroom, aird 
when stewed 1 found it hard, and iirferior iir flavour ; it i.s 
by many considered superior to the common mushroom for 
making ketchup, for which pirrpose it is brought into the 
markets for sale this autumn. I saw a basket in the TVin- 
chester market, and upon questioning the seller, she denied 
that they were horse-mushrooms, stating that she con¬ 
sidered the latter poisonous; from her description, I con- 
I clrrded that she considered A. procerus to be the horse 
j mushroom, which is known to be the most wholesome iir its 
i raw state, of any ftrngi. A. exquhitus grows abundant under 
I trees, arrd in a yorrng state is of a brilliant white, having a i 
pleasing effect in the gloominess caused by orrr harrging 
trees. I have found it firre and abundant at Archer Lodge, ' 
near- Basingstoke, and on the bairks of Lough Neagh, 
Ireland. Abundant in autumn. 
A. oreadcs. —This fungus, of course, is well known as the 
Chanipignow, but caution must be taken in collecting, as 
two poisonous species nearly allied are occasionally found 
iir company with it, namely— A. dryoqihiUus, and A. semi- 
ylohatus; it is of so common occurrence in autumn, forTuing 
the fairy-rings, that I consider it rrnnecessary to quote 
localities. 
A. nehularis.- —This Agaric, wdiich is considered rare, I 
have found sparingly at Archer Lodge, beneath fir-trees, 
has a very agreeable flavorrr when toasted and seasoned 
with pepper, salt, and butter. 
A, deiiciosus. —This I have heard spoken very highly of 
by several who have used it as an article of diet, stating 
that it really is as its name implies, delicious ; unfortunately 
I irever found but three of this species at the locality last 
named, and, therefore, cannot speak from experience of its 
good qualities. 
A. atrameniarius and A. comatus. —These ai’e so similar in 
appearance, occur so frequently in the same localities, and 
require the same treatment for the tatile, that I shall con¬ 
sider them together. I have found them both near Archer 
Lodge, and on the banks of Lough Neagh, Ireland. I have 
also found A. conialus in a lane near Winchester, and A. 
alramentarlus beneath the willow-trees on the banks of the 
Basingstoke Canal. 
A. orcelhis. —This, which I consider the sweetest of all the 
Agarics, I found abundant in Hackwood Park, and Archer 
Lodge, growing beneath the shade of trees in considerable 
abundance. 
The following esculent Agarics I have not yet found 
A. lieteroqdiyU.us, oslreaius, ruhescens, melleus, ulmarius,/usipes, 
vagiuntus,violaceus, castaneus, piperatus, viryiiicus. 
Lycoqierdou plumbcum. — This fungus I have found in 
Hackwood Park; also, L. hovisUi, in Tangier Park, near 
Basingstoke. The Tuber ciberium (Truffel) is also abun¬ 
dant in the beach plantations about Hackwood ; also, the 
Helvella crispa I have found in great abundance in the same 
locality. I have also forrnd it in the plantations at Avington 
Park, near Winchester. 
Boletus edulis and scaber I have found abundant and fine 
in the oak woods at Pamber, Hants ; the B. edulis also in 
oak woods at Otterboume, Hants, and Hornsey, Middlesex ; 
and B. scaber very abundant under fir-trees at Archer Lodge. 
Morchella esculeuta. — I found one iflant of this some 
years back, I regret to say before I knew its good qualities ; | 
it was looked upon as an object of considerable ciu-iosity, ' 
and then cast away. | 
In conclusion, I will give a list of esculent fungi on 
which, as I have not found them, I cannot jiass my opinion. 
Amanita Casarea, Cantharcllus cibarius, Clavariu coralloides, 
Fistulia hepatica, Hyduum repandum, Morchella semilibera, 
Peziza acetabiila, Polyporus coruphiuus, and frundosus. 
F. Yoeke Brocas. 
THE DECOY-POND AND ITS W'ATEE-FOWL. 
A WALK of about two miles from my residence, over billy 
heaths, brings me to a wild and solitary spot—a sort of deep 
valley, or glen. It appears as if a whole -wood had been 
sunk into it until the tops of its loftiest trees were brought 
upon a level with the summits of the surrounding hills. 
Access can only be bad to this sylvan retreat by applying to 
the keeper, an old Ilobinson Crusoe Idnd-of'man, who has 
