Vlii. INTRODUCriON 



are interested in tropical plants will find in this work in- 

 formation of the utmost value. 



J\I. de Sornay, wIkj for a number of years has been a 

 member of the staff of the Agronomic Station at Mauritius, 

 had already published, some time ago, in the Bulletin of 

 the Station, a short treatise on the Leguminosse. 



Encouraged by the favourable reception accorded to this 

 treatise, he wished to gather into one volume a number of 

 scattered works on the economic Leguminosse of the Tropics. 

 This task has demanded from the author a large amount 

 (»f time, patience, and research; not only has he personally 

 carried out a number of analvses, but he has further given 

 us the results of those made before his own. 



The book, in fact, forms a complete survey; the author 

 deals with each cjuestion in full detail, he is not content 

 merely to refer to such-and-such another work, but is anxious 

 that every chapter may form a complete whole, where the 

 reader ma^' find all the information he can require. He 

 wishes his book to be a guide within the reach of all. 



M. de Sornay excuses himself, however, for not always 

 having given as much detail as he would have desired; he 

 has not always been able to escape the difficulty of finding 

 the references necessary, but we who for many years have 

 followed M. de Sorna}''s researches, and have actually seen 

 him at work, feel convinced that A\herever the references 

 have been scantv the^' have been replaced bv an exceptionally 

 valuable personal experience and hv the advice of his 

 esteemed master and friend, M. Boname. 



The scheme of the worl<, which has been planned with 

 the greatest clarity, may be summarized as follows : — 



An account of the theories on tlie fixation of nitrogen 

 from the air by the Leguminosse. 



Value of restorative food and fodder plants, origin, 

 description, cultivation, varieties, yield, uses of numerous 

 species : pea-nut, Bambarra ground-nut, jack bean, pigeon- 



