The genus _Amanita_ contains many important mycorrhizal fungi including the ‘Blusher’, _A. rubescens_ (Fries) S. F. Gray, the ‘Tawny grisette’, _A. fulva_ Secretan, and the ‘False death-cap’, _A. citrina_ S. F. Gray. The first grows on heaths and in woods with a variety of trees; _A. fulva_ frequently grows with birch and _A. citrina_ with several leafy trees although its var. _alba_ (Gillet) E. J. Gilbert appears to be confined to beech woods. However, there is some evidence that many members of the genus in drier more southern countries than Britain, are non-mycorrhizal. In fact the genus as a whole may be southern-temperate in its distribution. In the British Isles the number of species of _Amanita_ recorded decreases as one goes north, or the frequency of single species except for a few widespread forms falls off northwards. In a few cases a more familiar southern species is replaced in similar habitats by another species, e.g. _A. phalloides_ (Fries) Secretan is replaced by _A. virosa_ Secretan the ‘Destroying angel’ in Scotland, and _A. citrina_ frequently in the north by _A. porphyria_ (Fries) Secretan. Species of _Amanita_ are usually large conspicuous fungi and the genus contains some of our best known agarics. One, _A. muscaria_ (Fries) Hooker has already been mentioned, but the genus also includes the ‘Death-cap’ _A. phalloides_ and ‘Caesar’s mushroom’ _A. caesarea_ (Fries) Schweinitz, a fungus not found in this country but considered to be superior in edibility to all other fungi; thus edible and deadly poisonous species are found closely related and this simply emphasises how important it is not to eat the agarics one finds in the woods and fields except when accompanied by a ‘real’ expert. Deaths or near fatalities in Europe and North America are recorded annually due to the eating of fungi belonging to this genus. The poisonous qualities of the fungi in this genus--only a very small amount of poison is often sufficient to produce fatal results--has led to a close connection between these fungi and black magic and the supernatural. This connection is even more emphasised when it is learnt that some have an intoxicating effect. Hence the long history mentioned earlier.