The chantarelle _Cantharellus cibarius_, Fr., has a most charming and enticing appearance and odour. In colour, it is of a bright golden yellow, and its smell has been compared to that of ripe apricots. It is almost universally eaten in all countries where it is found, England excepted, where it is only to be met with at the "Freemason's Tavern" on state occasions, and at the tables of pertinacious mycophagists.[j] Trattinnick says: "Not only this same fungus never did any one harm, but might even restore the dead."[k]
The fairy-ring champignon _Marasmius oreades_, Fr., though small, is plentiful, and one of the most delicious of edible fungi. It grows in exposed pastures, forming rings, or parts of rings. This champignon possesses the advantage of drying readily, and preserving its aroma for a long time. We have often regretted that no persistent attempts and experiments have been made with the view of cultivating this excellent and useful species. _Marasmius scorodonius_, Fr.,[l] a small, strong-scented, and in all respects inferior species, found on heaths and dry pastures, extending even to the United States, is consumed in Germany, Austria, and other continental countries, where, perhaps its garlic odour has been one of its recommendations as an ingredient in sauces. In this enumeration we have not exhausted all the gill-bearing species which might be eaten, having included only those which have some reputation as esculents, and of these more particularly those found in Great Britain and the United States.
Amongst the _Polyporei_, in which the gill plates are represented by pores or tubes, fewer esculent species are to be met with than in the _Agaricini_, and the majority of these belong to the genus _Boletus_. Whilst in Vienna and Hanover, we were rather surprised to find _Boletus edulis_, Fr., cut into thin slices and dried, exposed for sale in almost every shop where meal, peas, and other farinaceous edibles were sold. This species is common enough in England, but as a rule it does not seem to please the English palate, whereas on the continent no fungus is more commonly eaten. This is believed to be the suillus eaten by the ancient Romans,[m] who obtained it from Bithynia. The modern Italians dry them on strings for winter use, and in Hungary a soup is made from them when fresh. A more excellent species, according to our judgment, is _Boletus æstivalis_, Fr.,[n] which appears in early summer, and has a peculiar nutty flavour when raw, reminding one more of a fresh mushroom. _Boletus scaber_, Fr.,[o] is also common in Britain, as well as the continent, but does not enjoy so good a reputation as _B. edulis_. Krombholz says that _Boletus bovinus_, Fr., a gregarious species, found on heaths and in fir woods, is much sought after abroad as a dish, and is good when dried. _Boletus castaneus_, Fr.,[p] is a small species with a mild, pleasant taste when raw, and very good when properly cooked. It is not uncommonly eaten on the continent. _Boletus chrysenteron_, Fr.,[q] and _Boletus subtomentosus_, Fr., are said to be very poor eating, and some authors have considered them injurious; but Mr. W. G. Smith states that he has on more than one occasion eaten the former, and Trattinnick states that the latter is eaten in Germany. The late Mr. Salter informed us that, when employed on the geological staff, he at one time lived almost entirely on different species of Boleti, without using much discrimination. Sir W. C. Trevelyan also informs us that he has eaten _Boletus luridus_ without any unpleasant consequences, but we confess that we should be sorry to repeat the experiment. Dr. Badham remarks that he has eaten _Boletus Grevillei_, B., _Boletus flavus_, With., and _Boletus granulatus_, L., the latter being recognized also as edible abroad. Dr. Curtis experimented, in the United States, on _Boletus collinitus_, and although he professes not to be particularly fond of the Boleti, he recognizes it as esculent, and adds that it had been pronounced delicious by some to whom he had sent it. He also enumerates as edible _Boletus luteus_, Fr., _Boletus elegans_, Fr., _Boletus flavidus_, Fr., _Boletus versipellis_, Fr., _Boletus leucomelas_, Tr., and _Boletus ovinus_, Sch. Two Italian species of _Polyporus_ must not be forgotten. These are _Polyporus tuberaster_, Pers., which is procured by watering the _pietra funghaia_, or fungus stone, a kind of tufa, in which the mycelium is embedded. It is confined to Naples. The other species is _Polyporus corylinus_, Mauri., procured artificially in Rome from charred stumps of the cob-nut tree.[r]