iv. 
from the most celebrated Emporia of science in Europe, it would be great presumption in me even 
to hope that I could avoid them, while working alone with a limited herbarium, and an indifferently 
stocked library. I have, however, made it my endeavour to compensate for these disadvantages 
by care, in turning to the best account the sources of information within my reach, and I hope that 
blemishes of the kind referred to, may not in this work be found greatly to exceed those of other 
similar publications. 
Love of novelty and the ambition of aequiring celebrity by the publieation of numerous new 
genera and species have never influenced me in the selection of my subjects; though doubtless, when 
such erossed my path, I have gladly given them a place, not so much for the honor they conferred 
on the discoverer, as for the sake of enriching the flora of which they formed a part. Long before 
I ever dream’t of becoming an author, I often felt the want of the aid towards the determination 
of an unknown plant which a figure supplies, and for whieh verbal description, however carefully 
drawn up, can never altogether compensate. My main object in commencing this work was to 
supply that desideratum, by the publication of figures of the plants described in my Prodromus 
of the Peninsular Flora. And while acting up to that intention the most common plants were as 
well, or even better, suited to fulfil my object as the most rare and beautiful, and, perhaps, it would 
now have been more useful to the Indian Botanist had I throughout adhered more strietly to my 
original plan. 
Be that as it may, as the work advanced, and more especially after my official duties became 
such as to compel me from want of leisure to discontinue the systematic exposition of the natural 
orders in my Illustrations, it occurred to me that the Icones would be improved by imparting to them 
something more of a systematic character; that is, to the extent of illustrating in a continuous series 
of plates, whole orders; a feature in which the latter volumes differ from all similar works. By 
following this course, a series of more or less perfect monographs, at least of the genera, of many 
large orders have been produced. 
Through the adoption of this plan, I have, I think, been enabled to accomplish, more perfectly 
than I otherwise could have done, my wish to produce a work better adapted to the wants of Indian 
Botanists, for whom it is principally intended, than had the more usual plan been adopted. And 
being well acquainted with the disadvantages under which they labour, I have, from time to time, 
as opportunity offered, endeavoured to lessen these by introducing explanations of elementary prin- 
ciples which would have been unnecessary, or indeed quite out of place, if addressed to highly 
accomplished European students. Fearing that the latter may sometimes be of opinion that my 
remarks on these occasions, however incidentally introduced, might as well have been withheld as 
being unnecessary and common place, I think it desirable to offer this explanation in the belief that 
most of those for whom the work is more especially intended, will coincide with me as to their pro- 
priety, and in the hope that others, who have no ground for b yn on the score of extra cost, 
will not consider their introduction objectionable. 
In the early volumes I looked more to species than genera, which indeed are often اد و‎ 
difficult of the two to determine, but subsequently I thought it advisable to inerease the number of 
genera in proportion to the species, as being better adapted, when grouped in orders, to د من‎ 
correct and enlarged ideas of the principles of the natural system of arrangement. 
This eonsideration, combined with the interruption of the Illustrations, led to this, if I mw 
call it, monographie plan, to carry out which I generally took up whole orders, and studied them until 
I had familiarized myself with the distinguishing features and diseriminating characters of their 
genera. Having done so, I then selected for representation those I considered the most interesting 
or best adapted to convey a knowledge of the peculiarities of the family to which they belonged, as 
