a_, Fr., are also eaten in the United States. More
than one species of _Lycoperdon_ and _Bovista_ appear in the bazaars
of India, as at Secunderabad and Rangoon; while the white ant-hills,
together with an excellent Agaric, produce one or more species of
_Podaxon_ which are esculent when young. A species of _Scleroderma_
which grows abundantly in sandy districts, is substituted for truffles
in Perigord pies, of which, however, it does not possess any of the
aroma.

[Illustration: FIG. 43.--_Morchella gigaspora_, from Kashmir.]

Passing over the rest of the sporiferous fungi, we find amongst the
_Ascomycetous_ group several that are highly esteemed. Amongst these
may first be named the species of morel, which are regarded as
delicacies wherever they are found. _Morchella esculenta_, Pers., is
the most common species, but we have also _Morchella semilibera_, D.
C., and the much larger _Morchella crassipes_, Pers. Probably all the
species of _Morchella_ are esculent, and we know that many besides the
above are eaten in Europe and other places; _Morchella deliciosa_,
Fr., in Java; _Morchella bohemica_, Kromb., in Bohemia; _Morchella
gigaspora_, Cooke, and _Morchella deliciosa_, Fr., in Kashmere.[AC]
_Morchella rimosipes_, D. C., occurs in France and Bohemia;
_Morchella Caroliniana_, Bosc., in the Southern United States of
America. W. G. Smith records the occurrence in Britain of specimens of
_Morchella crassipes_, P., ten inches in height, and one specimen was
eleven inches high, with a diameter of seven and a half inches.[AD]

Similar in uses, though differing in appearance, are the species of
_Helvella_, of which several are edible. In both these genera, the
individuals can be dried so readily that they are the more valuable on
that account, as they can be used for flavouring in winter when fresh
specimens of any kind of fungus are difficult to procure. The most
common English species is _Helvella crispa_, Fr., but _Helvella
lacunosa_, Fr., is declared to be equally good, though not so large
and somewhat rare. _Helvella infula_, Fr., is also a large species,
but is not British, although it extends to North America, as also does
_Helvella sulcata_, Afz. Intermediate between the morel and _Helvella_
is the species which was formerly included with the latter, but now
known as _Gyromitra esculenta_, Fr.[AE] It is rarely found in Great
Britain, but is more common on the continent, where it is held in
esteem. A curious stipi