hen 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]

Of true _Polyporus_, only two or three species have been regarded
favourably as esculents. These are--_Polyporus intybaceus_, Fr., which
is of very large size, sometimes attaining as much as forty pounds;
_Polyporus giganteus_, Fr., also very large, and leathery when old.
Both these species are natives of Britain. Only young and juicy
specimens must be selected for cooking. _Polyporus umbellatus_, Fr.,
is stated by Fries to be esculent, but it is not found in Britain.
_Polyporus squamosus_, Fr., has been also included; but Mrs. Hussey
thinks that one might as well think of eating saddle-flaps. None of
these receive very much commendation. Dr. Curtis enumer