British Edible Fungi. By M. C. Cooke. (Kegan Paul, Trench,
and Co.)—Mr. Cooke gives us here a work of great practical utility. The waste that goes on through the general ignorance of the nature of British fungi is a commonplace ; and yet very few make an effort to apply it. Here there is an exclusion of all matter that does not immediately concern the subject: The poisonous fungi are not mentioned; only the edible varieties are described and pictured in coloured illustrations. The colour, it will be recognised, is a great assistance. One might say that is a neces- sity, if we are to identify the varieties. The volume concludes with a list of the edible fungi. Even those who know generally that there is a great number of these growths, will be surprised to learn that the varieties number one hundred and ninety-six. Some of these are noted as almost worthless, or of very rare occurrence ; but, after making -a most liberal deduction, we may say that there are a hundred and fifty kinds which might be used for food but are not.
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