Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/336

 Octomr 15,  1859.]  CONFESSIONS  OF  A TOADSTOOL-EATER. 323

young, is  white,  soon  turning  to  reddish  brown, and is  remarkable  for  being  marked  about  the upper part  with  a minute  net,  or  lattice-work,  of darker  lines. Under trees,  in  oak  and  other woods, is  the  habitation  of  this  fungus,  where  it may  be  found  in  summer  and  autumn. I have gathered it  as  early  as  the  middle  of  June. The Boletus edulis  grows,  in  size,  from  the  dimensions of a small  tea-saucer  to  those  of  a large  cheese- plate. It is  a soft  fat  fungus,  with  beautifully white flesh,  and,  when  baked  or  broiled,  eats much like  an  omelette,  with  a slight  taste  of mushroom. It relishes  all  the  better  if  dressed with fine  herbs. Whether it  would  equally  suc- ceed as a substitute  for  a sweet  omelette  I cannot say, not  having  as  yet  tried  it  with  currant- jelly or raspberry- jam.

About the  latter  end  of  September  and  the  first half of  October  appears  the  A garicus  procerus,  a fungus  of  no  mean  quality. It is,  as  its  name implies, tall,  often  standing  upwards  of  a foot  in height,  though  dwarf  specimens  are  also  to  be  met with. The cap,  from  four  to  seven  inches  across, is shaggy  on  the  outside,  brownish  white,  or  other- wise partridge coloured,  sprinkled  with  scales  of blackish  scurf. In the  centre  there  is  a black rounded knob,  very  much  like  the  black  nose of a little  dog. The stem  (which  is  unfit  to  eat)  is of  a woody  texture,  figured  with  blackish  markings, arranged similarly  to  those  of  a snake. The whole fungus  bears  a striking  resemblance  to  a parasol  or  umbrella — a similitude  increased  by  a broad  membranous  ring  surrounding  its  upper part. The gills  are  nearly  white,  with  a slight tinge of  fiesh  colour. The flesh  is  quite  white,  of a light  and  springy  texture. Simply cooked  in an  oven,  this  fungus  has  a sweetish  somewhat mealy taste,  with  scarcely  any  mushroom  flavour. It ought  to  be  seasoned  with  a little  garlic; and, with this  addition,  makes  a good  stew,  which  a blind  man  might  take  for  tripe  of  unusual  delicacy, uncommonly well  cleansed. After cooking,  the gills remain  white; yet,  if  sprinkled  with  salt,  in a few  days  they  turn  black,  and  the  Agaricus procerus thus  treated  affords,  though  in  compara- tively small quantity,  an  excellent  ketchup,  which differs only  from  that  of  the  common  mushroom in being  finer. The Agaricus  procerus  is  fond  of parks  and  commons,  particularly  flourishing  in lose  proximity  to  furze-bushes  and  dead  fern.

After rain,  during  autumn,  the  Agaricus  fusipes comes up  at  some  little  distance  from  the  roots  of oaks. It is  of  middling  size. The cap  of  this fungus is  brown,  often  partially  marked  with blotches, which  look  like  lamp-black  or  the  film of soot  that  forms  on  the  bars  of  a grate. The stalk is  small,  rather  contorted; the  gills  are  at first  brownish  white,  and  then  of  a rich  dark bistre almost  black. The taste  of  this  fungus  is much  like  that  of  the  common  mushroom.

The same  may  be  said  of  the  flavour  of  the Agaricus atramentarius  and  Agaricus  comatus , two allied  funguses  found  in  fields,  gardens,  and waste places,  in  summer  and  autumn. The atra - mentarius (so  called  because  it  will  serve  to  make ink)  often  grows  in  clumps  or  clusters  on  the stumps of  trees. It is  a greyish  conical  fungus with slate-coloured  gills,  and  a smooth,  straight,

whitish stem,  about  four  inches  high. Its closed cap is  about  as  big  as  an  egg. The comatus  is all  white,  and  of  an  oval  form  before  it  expands, softer than  the  atramentarius, and  covered  with  a delicate  moist  scurf. When this  fungus  expands its margin  becomes  ragged,  and  divided,  as  it were,  into  locks,  whence  its  name. The gills  then turn black. These toadstools  deliquesce  rapidly, and, though  good  enough  to  eat,  are  best  for ketchup. None but  young  specimens  are  fit  for either purpose.

After rain,  from  July  till  late  in  the  autumn, the Agaricus  heterophyUus  appears  in  woods  and under trees. It is  from  three  to  five  inches  in diameter  across  the  cap. This is  a livid-looking toadstool, generally  of  the  colour  of  an  Orleans plum; yellow in  some  instances,  in  others  lilac, sky-blue, or  green. Its gills  are  white. Its stalk, externally,  has  the  colour  and  appearance of spermaceti,  and  inside  is  of  a sort  of  pithy texture. Badham praises  this  fungus  too  highly, unless some  peculiar  method  of  cookery  which  I am  not  aware  of  can  render  it  worth  cooking. It yields, however,  a rich  and  savoury  gravy,  and  a ketchup  which,  on  cooling  after  having  been boiled, deposits  a quantity  of  jelly.

Champignon is  a name  commonly  given  to  the small button  mushroom. It is,  however,  a de- nomination properly belonging  to  the  Agaricus oreades; a little buff  fungus  which,  during  all  the summer and  most  of  the  autumn,  after  wet  weather succeeded by  sun,  abounds  in  fields  and  meadows, and on  strips  of  grass  by  the  road-side. Fairy- rings are  often  thickly  studded  with  it,  which circumstance may  have  procured  for  it  its  classical name. The cap  is  conical,  rather  leathery; the gills are  of  a lighter  tint  than  the  cap; the  stem is very  tough  and  fibrous. This is  an  agreeable fungus, tasting  a little  like  a mushroom,  and having, like  the  pruntdus, the  advantage  of keeping  when  dried,  and  in  that  state  serving  to flavour  hashes  and  stews. It is  impossible  for  any one who  is  well  acquainted  with  this  fungus  to mistake  it,  but  very  possible  for  anybody  else  to mistake  it  for  two  rather  similar  toadstools  which are deleterious.

Of the  Agaricus  personatus  I can  say  nothing worse than  that,  if  underdone,  it  will,  as  afore- said, give its  consumer  a stomach-ache. It is hardly  worth  further  description  than  what  I have already given. This toadstool  tastes  a little  like veal, and  might  make  a tolerable  accompaniment to a bit  of  bacon. That is  the  best  I can  say of it.

The CanthareUus  cibarius  is  a small  orange- yellow fungus  with  decurrent  gills; it  grows  in the  same  season  with  the  procerus, in  the  short grass and  among  the  moss  on  commons  and  about woods. It has  a faint  smell  of  apricots. It makes a good  fry,  much  like  whitebait,  and  also does well  in  a stew.

Most wanderers  amid  forests  have  remarked an excrescence  which  looks  like  a mass  of  liver springing out  of  living  oak  trees. This is  the Fistulina hepatica. When first  formed,  it  re- sembles a tongue protruding  from  the  tree; except that its  colour  at  first  is  of  a light  yellowish red. In this  state  its  upper  surface  is  studded