Owing to the difficulties experienced by beginners , and even by experienced observers in identifying human species appearing on forays in the English Midlands, it is hoped that this key will be of help. It is quite likely that, even having used your field notes carefully, you may be unable to identify your specimen.
In that event, forward all details to the survey chairman immediately, for you may have found a species new to Warwickshire, or even new to science.

To begin with, you may find that a host of specimens foraying, may look, and even sound alike macroscopically, clad in dull weatherbeaten clothing, armed with assorted collecting baskets, silently rummaging about in woodland undergrowth. Do not despair. On close observation,you will find with relief that they are all more or less human and exhibit a variety of differing features.

The characters used in the key are as follows:-

1. Male or Female. If you cannot distinguish this, you don't know what you are missing.

2. Cap fibrillose, or not. You may have to remove any hat or other covering to check this, Try to time this inspection with showing the specimen a toadstool, when most specimens will immediately go into a trance-like state, even shock for several seconds and may even try to put a name to the fungus.

3. Stem shape and details. Great care must be taken with species determined as female. The stem should not be touched, as the thin silky covering may be damaged, and you may well be struck by the enraged specimen. Male specimen details can be checked fairly readily by lifting the trouser leg until the details are discernable.

4. Smell. It is best to stand downwind of the specimen, as close as is possible, without giving offence. Female smells tend to be pleasant, i.e. like Channel Tunnel No. 5, while male smells are very variable, from those similar to female, to stale tobacco etc.

5. Cortinarius reaction. This most important test is rather similar to the chemical testing of toadstools. The specimen should be confronted by a fresh Cortinarius, preferably of the hygrophanous variety. A positive reaction is indicated where the specimen takes, or at least touches the fungus. Negative reactions range from indifference, to physically damaging the Cortinarius, sometimes even treading it into the ground and jumping up and down on it.
Great care must be taken to be prepared for the innocent positive, where the unfortunate specimen may suffer a delayed violent reaction, depending on the length of contact. This reaction usually results in the specimen experiencing slight nervous twitching, and worse, and has even resulted in the total disappearance of the species.

Owing to the disappearance from the area of a number of our members over the years, we append a red data list of Warwickshire mycologists under the catagory of 'rare species'.

Key to Species

1	Specimen clearly male Specimen clearly female	2 12
2(1)	Cap fibrillose to strigose Cap smooth, or nearly so	3 10
3(2)	Smell present (may be faint) No discernable smell present	4 8
4(3)	Cortinarius reaction positive (may be fleeting) Cortinarius reaction negative (may be violent)	5 7
5(4)	Smell of old oily rags Not so	6	Mike Austin [I]
6(5)	Faint smell of spent cordite Smell of crisp new banknotes		Chris Lewis [2] Ian Lang [3]
7(4)	Smell strong, of Scotch whisky, with suggestion of haggis Smell faint, of wet dog		Bill Moodie [4] John Williams [5]
8(3)	Cortinarius reaction positive Cortinarius reaction negative	9	John Sells [6]
9(8)	Stem substantial Stem thin		Chris Berry [7] Roy Crees [8]
10(2)	Cortinarius reaction positive Cortinarius reaction negative	11	John Roberts [9]
11(10)	Smell of chalk and damp blackboard dusters Smell of photographic chemicals		David Antrobus [10] Bert Brand [11]
12(1)	Smell of perfume Smell otherwise, or absent	13 16
13(12)	Cortinarius reaction positive Cortinarius reaction negative	14 15
14(13)	Stem medium Stem short		Dinah Griffin [12] Val Roberts [13]
15(13)	Stem with ribbed covering, green, peronate at the base Stem smooth		Gill Brand [14] Janet Antrobus [15]
16(12)	Cortinarius reaction positive Cortinarius reaction negative	17 20
17(16)	Stem medium or long Stem short	18 19
18(17)	Stem long, smell of Mac computer ink Stem medium, smell of laboratory chemicals		Clare Hinchliffe [16] Sue Lang [17]
19(17)	Smell of chalk mixed with chemicals Smell absent		Sian Davies [18] Margaret Crees [19]
20(16)	Stem medium Stem short		Jane Sells [20] Pauline Sands [21]