Many amateur mycologists nowadays have good microscopes and interest in fungi which can be named with certainty only when they have been examined microscopically is increasing. Some fungi without gills, such as Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus), Jew's Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae), Common Bird's nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve), Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica) , Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) and Sulphur Polypore (Laetiporus sulphureus) are recognized easily macroscopically, but a microscope is needed for the determination of most of them. During the past two years this book, in manuscrip form, was used without reference to any other work to identify several thousand fresh collections of non-gilled fungi. We worked together as a team, every microscopic preparation was seen b both of us and we were able to sort out taxonomic problems through discussion. The numerous keys to all genera and species proved invaluable. Inaccuracies found we were able to put right when we found them. In previous years we used many books, monographs and other scientific papers to help us identify fungi without gills and it was often a long and laborious task. Each year from 1973 onwards as successive volumes of The Corticiaceae of North Europe, beautifully illustrated by John Eriksson, were published by Fungiflora, Oslo, we received fresh stimulus and help in this work. Leif Ryvarden's two volumes The Polyporaceae of North Europe (1976, 1978), also published by Fungiflora, proved most useful, as did Roy Watling's Boletaceae (British Fungus Flora 1, 1970). It wa not until 1984, however, that keys to many groups became available with the publication by Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, of Walter Juelich's excellent book Die Nichtblaetterpilze, Gallertpilze und Bauchpilze. In 1986 J. Breitenbach und F. Kraenzlin described 528 species of nongilled fungi in Vol. 2 of Fungi of Switzerland. Their beautiful colour photographs, which portray these fungi so accurately, make it possible for even quite inexperienced amateur mycologists to start identifying many of the species straightaway. There is no doubt that this book will stimulate interest in groups of fungi which have hitherto attracted relatively few workers. With a little practice resupinate fungi, club fungi, jelly fungi, brackets, earth-stars, puffballs and so on are not at all difficult to identify. Many of them flourish and sporulate freely during the winter months when there are few other basidiomycetes to be seen. January, February and March are particularly good collecting months for resupinate and jelly fungi and there are few mosquitoes around then. It is possible to study mycology the whol year around of your are prepared to look at all groups of fungi. In this book measurements, except where stated otherwise, are in thousandths of a millimetre (microns) and much space has been saved by not .......
