A pocket sized book with descriptions and illustrations of many of the common fungi that can, after a little experience, be recognized at sight. All the black and white photographs have been carefully chosen to illustrate the species that can be recognized by their form and shape alone. Where the fungi can be found and the conditions under which they grow are also noted.

With the increasing interest in the natural history of the countryside many more people want to know how to identify these strange and often beautiful plants and to be able to know which of them are good to eat, and, perhaps even more important, those that are poisonous. It is hoped that this book will form a useful introduction to the subject. The text, which was first published in 1958, has been entirely rewritten and the opportunity has been taken to bring the Latin names more into line with modern ideas of their taxonomy.