This is the first part of a two-volume series on mushrooms by Atkinson, a mycologist and professor of botany at Cornell University. In this volume, Atkinson provides a detailed introduction to the morphology, classification, and ecology of mushrooms, as well as descriptions and illustrations of various species found in North America. The book is a valuable resource for amateur and professional mushroom hunters alike, and an important contribution to the fields of mycology and botany.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.