spunk; a genus of the order of fungi, belonging to the cryptogamia clas of plants; of which botanists enumerate 17 species. The following are the most remarkable. 1. The inebrosus, or white cork fungus, grows commonly on the trunks of birch and willow trees in England and Scotland. It grows sessile and horizontal; its figure is semicircular; the upper side convex, the under nearly plain; of various sizes, from that of an ass's hoof, to a peck-measure. The upper surface is quite white, generally covered with a short strong down, but sometimes smooth. The flesh or internal substance is thick, white, tough, light, and spongy, like cork; and is sometimes cut and shaped by the country people, and used as corks in their bottles; but such corks must not be suffered to touch the liquid, for moisture soon renders them soft and useless.

2. The ignarius, or touchwood-spunk, is frequent on the trunks of old trees of all kinds, especially ash. It consists of a very hard woody substance, in shape like a horse's hoof, and grows of various sizes, from a man's fist to that of his head and larger. The upper side is smooth, but uneven, distinguished near the rim by elevated zones of different colours, brown, grey, tawny, &c. The flesh is of a tawny brown colour, extremely hard and tough. This fungus is made use of in Germany and some parts of England for tinder. The Germans boil it in strong lye, dry it and boil it again in solution of saltpetre. The Laplanders burn it about their habitations, in order to keep off a species of the gadfly which is fatal to the young reindeer. It has been used to stop the bleeding of the vessels after amputations. For this purpose the hard outer part is cut off, and the soft inner substance is beat with a hammer to make it still softer. It is best when gathered in August or September. 3. The bovinus, or cow-spunk, is frequent in woods and pastures. It is generally of a brown colour, though sometimes it is tawny, yellowish brown, reddish brown, deep red, purple, or greenish brown. The flesh is yellow, white, or reddish. The young plants are eaten in Italy, and esteemed a great delicacy. The Germans also account them a dainty, calling them gombas, and brat-bulz. Cows, dear, sheep, and swine, will feed upon this and other boleti, and are sometimes greatly greatly disordered by them. In cows and other cattle they have been known to create bloody urine, nauseous milk, swellings of the abdomen, inflammations of the bowels, stoppages, diarrhoea, and death. In sheep they bring on a feverish liver, a cough, a general wasting, and dropy. Scarabs, dermestes, and many other insects, feed upon and breed in them in abundance.