Transcriber’s Notes Text between _underscores_ represents text printed in italics in the source document, text between =equal signs= represents bold face text, and text between ~tildes~ represents bold face and italic text. Superscript texts are represented by ^{text}. More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text. IDENTIFICATION OF THE LARGER FUNGI DEDICATION To my parents who encouraged my interests in mushrooms and toadstools and my wife who, later, was sympathetic to my studies and assisted in the production of the manuscript. Hulton Group Keys IDENTIFICATION OF THE LARGER FUNGI by ROY WATLING, B.Sc., Ph.D., M.I.Biol. Principal Scientific Officer, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh _Editor of series_: Antony R. Kenney, M.A., B.Sc. © 1973 R. Watling A. R. Kenney ISBN 0 7175 0595 2 First published 1973 by Hulton Educational Publications Ltd., Raans Road, Amersham, Bucks. Reproduced and printed by photolithography and bound in Great Britain at The Pitman Press, Bath PREFACE This is one of a series of books intended to introduce field-biology to students, particularly the sixth form and early university student. The present work is ecologically biased in order to emphasise a rather neglected aspect of the higher fungi. Few books on fungi have ever been designed for students. This book is aimed primarily at this level, but if the interested amateur is assisted and encouraged by this same text my hopes will have been doubly achieved. Many amateurs interested in higher fungi wish only to name their collections, or know approximately what they are before sampling them as an addition to their diet. An understanding of our commoner species at an early age will allow the ‘budding’ mycologist to tackle the much needed study of the more critical forms. Mycology is still at a descriptive stage, but it is hoped this will soon be changed and fungi of all kinds will be studied as part and parcel of courses in ecology. It is of course quite impossible to cover all the species in such a small volume as this present one, but it is hoped that the examples which have been carefully chosen are sufficiently common throughout the country for any student to collect them in a single season. The examples, except for very few, in fact appear in the list of higher fungi found about the Kindrogan Field Centre, Perthshire, Scotland, compiled from the collections made by students attending my field course there.