beatrix potter fungi book

[Naturenutz]

Ive just got hold of a book called wayside and woodland fungi (1967) in pristine condition and i was Surprised to see its illustrated by Beatrix potter (Very Well illustrated too).And i never new she was a mycologist .I tried to find the book thread on here but had no luck .

[Ken Burgess]

Try Wikipedia. That will give you a bit of information about Beatrix Potter and her interest in mycology.

Ken

[treecreeper]

I'm sure I read somewhere that she was so scandalised by the shape of Phallus impudicus that she used to gather them up and burn them behind the cottage

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

I'm sure I read somewhere that she was so scandalised by the shape of Phallus impudicus that she used to gather them up and burn them behind the cottage

She was a breeder of sheep and a fell farmer, that doesn't seem to gell with the image of a tough country woman. Anyway, a quick stamp would bring the thing to quiescence (it would certainly work for me).

[flaxton]

I read that it was Darwins daughter Etty.

"In our native woods there grows a kind of toadstool called in the vernacular The Stinkhorn (though in Latin it bears a grosser name). The name is justified for the fungus can be hunted by scent alone, and this was Aunt Etty’s great invention. Armed with a basket and a pointed stick, and wearing a special hunting cloak and gloves, she would sniff her way through the wood, pausing here and there, her nostrils twitching when she caught a whiff of her prey. Then with a deadly pounce she would fall upon her victim and poke his putrid carcass into her basket. At the end of the day’s sport the catch was brought back and burnt in the deepest secrecy on the drawing room fire with the door locked–because of the morals of the maids."

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by flaxton

I read that it was Darwins daughter Etty.

"In our native woods there grows a kind of toadstool called in the vernacular The Stinkhorn (though in Latin it bears a grosser name). The name is justified for the fungus can be hunted by scent alone, and this was Aunt Etty’s great invention. Armed with a basket and a pointed stick, and wearing a special hunting cloak and gloves, she would sniff her way through the wood, pausing here and there, her nostrils twitching when she caught a whiff of her prey. Then with a deadly pounce she would fall upon her victim and poke his putrid carcass into her basket. At the end of the day’s sport the catch was brought back and burnt in the deepest secrecy on the drawing room fire with the door locked–because of the morals of the maids."

Sounds like something from mills and boon..

[cybershot]

I was lucky enough to have a 10 inch specimen in my armoury ......er.....Gallery



but there's no flies on me now...........

[poschiavanus]

Originally Posted by flaxton

I read that it was Darwins daughter Etty.

"In our native woods there grows a kind of toadstool called in the vernacular The Stinkhorn (though in Latin it bears a grosser name). The name is justified for the fungus can be hunted by scent alone, and this was Aunt Etty’s great invention. Armed with a basket and a pointed stick, and wearing a special hunting cloak and gloves, she would sniff her way through the wood, pausing here and there, her nostrils twitching when she caught a whiff of her prey. Then with a deadly pounce she would fall upon her victim and poke his putrid carcass into her basket. At the end of the day’s sport the catch was brought back and burnt in the deepest secrecy on the drawing room fire with the door locked–because of the morals of the maids."

Must be from Gwen Raverat's "A Period Piece".

I had no idea that Beatrix Potter's fungi illustrations had ever been published. In fact I thought it was because she had failed to find a publisher for them that she decided to find if there was any interest in a children's story.

The Wayside and Woodland Series were published by Frederick Warne & Co.. They also published all of Beatrix Potter's books. She was engaged to one of the Warne sons who died suddenly before their intended marriage date.

[bregalad]

As I understand it, Beatrix Potter aspired to be a serious mycologist, submitting a paper 'On the Germination of the Spores of the Agaricineae' to the Linnean Society. However, it was read by a proxy; as a woman, she was not permitted to attend. They never published the paper. She then turned to writing children's books. Perhaps it was more acceptable to a patriarchical society for women to write for children rather than as scientific equals to men.

Roy Watling has written about her:
http://www.linnean.org/fileadmin/ima...tter_fungi.pdf

Two good books of her drawings, which I obtained second hand, are:
Les Champignons, published in French by Bibliotheque de l'Image (1996),and
A Victorian Naturalist: Beatrix Potter's Drawings by Frederick Warne in 1992

[Naturenutz]

I Once had the French 1st edition of Les Champignons .A Very large book.I love the old antique books,the illustrations are often amazing.