viii PREFACE 



ideas so that they may judge for themselves what seems to be the more 

 logical. Accordingly numerous references are given at the close of each 

 chapter from which these conflicting ideas may be sought. It is the hope 

 of the author that the recognition of these conflicts may stimulate further 

 study until the points at issue may be settled by a fuller knowledge of the 

 facts. 



In this work an attempt has been made to give the user the oppor- 

 tunity to learn the more important characters of almost all the generally 

 recognized orders of fungi, and to have a foundation upon which the more 

 intensive study of any of these groups may be based. So many of these 

 organisms are still known but scantily, so that their true relationships are 

 very doubtful. As examples, the Protomycetales and Eccrinales may be 

 mentioned. Many species of each order have been recognized, but the 

 gaps in knowledge still make their relationships to other fungi uncertain. 



Little more than mere mention is made of those fungi that make up 

 the subject of Medical Mycology, as the author does not feel competent 

 to enter far into that field. Furthermore, he feels that a rather broad 

 foundation in the knowledge of fungi in general, such as this book should 

 give the student, is absolutely necessary before reasonable progress can 

 be made in the study of such a specialized subject. Similarly, but little 

 discussion is made of the physiology of fungi, as that subject, too, requires 

 a good knowledge of the fungi themselves as well as of the physiology of 

 green plants and an adequate training in chemistry. The genetics of fungi 

 is scarcely touched upon except where it is necessary to understand some- 

 what the relationships of certain fungus groups. In other words, this book 

 must not be expected to be a complete encyclopedia of fungi, but rather 

 the foundation upon which to lay the various superstructures of the edi- 

 fice of Mycology. 



So much has been published in the last fifteen years or more in the way 

 of manuals and monographs that the final chapter, "Guide to the Litera- 

 ture for the Identification of Fungi," is already large in size, in spite of 

 the fact that many older references have been omitted where newer ones 

 are readily available. Here, especially, the effects of World War II have 

 been deplorable. Contacts with mycologists in many portions of the world 

 have been broken; continuity of exchange of literature has been inter- 

 rupted. The mycologic publications in many of the countries where fight- 

 ing was intense have been destroyed, so that much that was of value can- 

 not even be located. As a consequence, in this chapter some glaring omis- 

 sions doubtless Mdll become apparent. It is hoped that these will not lessen 

 the value of the book. 



As before, the author owes a great deal to the generous cooperation of 

 many botanists in the New World and in portions of Europe. To begin to 

 name them would result in a list too long to be printed here. Furthermore, 



