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nutritive value it is far inferior to the latter on account of its poorer carbohydrate content.

Fungi, therefore, cannot be ranked with the essential foods. At the same time they are not to be looked upon as absolutely worthless. They may be made to serve a useful purpose as food accessories. Their agreeable flavour renders them especially suitable as flavourings or for use along with other more nutritious foods ; variety and palatability are well-known to be important factors in the question of diet. From this point of view, however, purchased mushrooms in this country are usually not an economical addition to the menu ; but where edible fungi can be gathered or obtained very cheaply they may take their place in adding variety to the diet.

Too great care cannot be exercised with regard to the use of edible fungi by persons not very familiar with the different species. The determination of species of Agarics, or gill-fungi, is by no means easy, and even mycologists of some experience may sometimes be deceived by close resemblances between edible and poisonous species. There is no test which can be used for the detection of poisonous varieties, and the soundest advice which can be given to the would-be fungus-eater is not to experiment unless he is absolutely certain of the species with which he is dealing, and never under any circumstances to eat fungi which are not perfectly sound and unattacked by insects. In cases of doubt expert advice should be asked.

As a class, they are hardly of much medicinal importance. It is better not to use them at all, since their use may lead to untoward symptoms from the difficulty of distinguishing the non-poisonous varieties from the poisonous ones.

Hab. — On rocks in the sea at Manora (Sind). Very widely distributed. Collected in Sind to a small extent in September and October.

Frond 4-18 inches long, widely oblong, waved, and of a green color. Edges waved.

Uses : — Said to be of value in scrofulous cases. (Murray.)

Hab. Manora rocks, between tide-marks.

Frond thin and membranaceous, not laciniated as in P.