ubterranean tubers of an
edible sort found in the earth, especially beneath beech trees, and
uprooted by dogs trained for the purpose. They somewhat resemble
our English "earth nuts," which swine discover by their scent. The
ancients called the Truffle _lycoperdon_, because supposing it to
spring from the dung of wolves. In Athens the children of Cherips
had the rights of citizenship granted them because their father had
invented a choice ragout concocted of Truffles. But delicate and
weak stomachs find them difficult to digest. Pliny said, "Those
kinds which remain hard after cooking are injurious; whilst others,
naturally harmful if they admit of being cooked thoroughly well,
and if eaten with saltpetre, or, still better, dressed with meat, or
with pear stalks, are safe and innocent."

In Italy these tubers are fried in oil and dusted with pepper. For
epicures they are mixed with the liver of fattened geese in _pate de
foie gras_. Also, greedy swine are taught to discover and root them
out, "being of a chestnut colour and heavy rank hercline smell, and
found not seldom in England." Black Truffles are chiefly used: but
there are also red and white varieties, the best tubers being light of
weight in proportion to their size, with an agreeable odour, and
elastic to the touch.

They are stimulating and heating, insomuch, that for delicate
children who are atrophied, and require a _multum in parvo_ of
fatty and nitrogenous food in a compact but light form, which is
fairly easy of digestion, [372] the _pate de foie gras_ on bread is a
capital prescription. Truffles grow in clusters several inches below
the soil, being found commonly on the downs of Wiltshire,
Hampshire and Kent; also in oak and chestnut forests. Dogs have
been trained to discriminate their scent below the surface of the soil,
and to assist in digging them out. There is a Garlic Truffle of a small
inferior sort which is put into stews; and the best Truffles are
frequently found full of perforations. The presence of the tubers
beneath the ground is denoted by the appearance above of a
beautiful little fly having a violet colour--this insect being never
seen except in the neighbourhood of Truffles. They are subject to
the depredations of certain animalcules, which excavate the tubers
so that they soon become riddled with worms. These, after passing
through a chrysalis state, develop into the violet flies. Gerard called
Truffles "Spanish fussebals." They wer