to meet with many pretty forms. The woods
are rendered extremely beautiful by the rich autumnal tints of the
foliage. We will go through this wicket and follow the path in the
direction of Ten-Tree Hill. Now, who will be the first to find the
bright scarlet fly agaric? It is a poisonous species, though so
beautiful. We will put the wholesome fungi in one basket and the
suspected ones in another.

Here you see is the elegant parasol fungus, with its tall stem and top
spotted with brown flakes; it is a most delicious one to eat, and in
my opinion is superior to the common mushroom. "Shall we find the
beefsteak fungus, papa?" said Willy. I have never seen it growing
here; the beefsteak fungus prefers to grow on very old oak trees, and
it is, moreover, by no means common. It is so called from its
resemblance to a beefsteak when cut through; a reddish gravy-like
juice flows from the wound, and I think the whole fungus when young
very inviting. I have on three or four occasions eaten this species,
but I do not think it a very palatable one, though perfectly wholesome
and doubtless nutritious.

Here is a quantity of _Amanita phalloides_, very beautiful with its
green tints and white stem; but I should not like to eat any of this
kind. Do you notice what a very unpleasant smell it has?

[Illustration: FUNGI.

1.--Beef-steak Fungus.
2.--Latticed Stinkhorn, (very rare.)
3.--Boletus.
4.--Hedgehog Mushroom.
5.--Fly Agaric.
6.--Clavaria.
7.--Bird's-nest Fungus; b, Sporangium of ditto, magnified.]

What a number of animals are nailed to that beech-tree! Let us see
what they are: two cats, three weasels, two stoats, four jays, two
magpies, two kestrils, an owl, and a sparrow-hawk. The keeper has
trapped or shot these as enemies to the game, and no doubt, with the
exception of the weasels, owl, and kestrils, the other animals often
destroy young pheasants or suck their eggs. Still I should not like to
see all wild animals destroyed that occasionally harm game preserves.
Gamekeepers have strong affection for their hares, partridges, and
pheasants, and consider all other wild animals as either enemies or
beneath notice. Indeed, a gamekeeper's zoology is confined to five
things--pheasants, partridges, hares, rabbits, and ants' eggs. Ah! I
do think I espy about twenty yards ahead the fly agaric (_Amanita
muscaria_). To be sure, here is a fine lot; some just appearing
above ground in the form of scarlet