e not known to English
epicures in Queen Elizabeth's day. Another appellation borne by
them formerly was "Swines' bread," and they were supposed to be
engendered by thunderbolts. In Northern France they were first
popularised four hundred and fifty years ago, by John, Duke of
Berry, a reprobate gambler, third son of John the Good. The
Perigord Truffle has a dark skin, and smells of violets. Piedmontese
truffles suggest garlic: those of Burgundy are a little resinous: the
Neapolitan specimens are redolent of sulphur: and in the Gard
Department (France) they have an odour of musk. The English
truffle is white, and best used in salads. Dr. Warton, Poet Laureate,
1750, said "Happy the grotto'ed hermit with his pulse, who wants no
truffles." A Girton girl under examination described the tuber as a
"sort of sea-anemone on land." When once dug up truffles soon
[373] lose their perfume and aroma, so they are imported bedded in
the very earth which produced them.

The Earth Nut (_Bunium flexuosum_) is also catted Hog Nut, Pig
Nut, Jur Nut, St. Anthony's Nut, Earth Chesnut, and Kipper Nut.
Caliban says, in the Tempest, "I with my long nails-will dig thee Pig
Nuts." They are an excellent diuretic, serving to stimulate the
kidneys.

Pliny talked of fungi in general as a great delicacy to be eaten with
amber knives and a service of silver. But Seneca called them
_voluptuaria venena_. The Russians take some which we think to be
deleterious; but they first soak these in vinegar, which (adds Pliny),
"being contrary to them neutralizes their dangerous qualities; also
they are rendered still more safe if cooked with pear stalks; indeed it
is good to eat pears immediately after all fungi." Almost every
species except the common Mushroom is characterized by the
majority of our countrymen as a toadstool; but this title really
appertains to the large group bearing the subgeneric name of
_Tricholoma_, which probably does not contain a single unwholesome
species. Other rustic names given to this group are "Puckstools"
and "Puckfists." They are further known as "Toad skeps" (toad's cap)
in the Eastern counties.

Puck, the mischievous king of the fairies, has been commonly
identified with _pogge_, the toad, which was believed to sit upon most
of the unwholesome fungi; and the _Champignon_ (or Paddock Stool)
was said to owe its growth to "those wanton elves whose pastime is
to make midnight mushrooms." One of the "toad stoo's" (the
_Clathru