PREFACE. | ái 
Mr. Wus; {о Sir №. T. THISELTON-DYER, Mr. Murray, and the staffs of Kew 
and the British Museum; to M. Вгвваг, M. Drake peL Castro, M. PIERRE, and 
the late M. Ғвлхснвт; to M. C. DE CANDOLLE and Mr. BARBEY; to Professor 
ENGLER ; to the late Professor SURINGAR, and to Signor Brccart. Mr. Влпү has 
kindly contributed specimens of the only Dalbergia in the Brisbane Herbarium; 
Dr. van Комвовон and Dr. Коокревѕ have equally kindly helped in clearing up 
difficulties connected with the species of Celebes; Dr. J. V. SuniNGAR of Leiden, 
Messrs. W. B. НЕмзцгкү and E. G. Влкев of London, and Dr. Harms of Berlin 
have given kind and ready help in clearing up difficulties of a bibliographical 
nature. То all these friends the writer 4^ hes to tender his warm thanks. 
The descriptions now given are as full and the figures are as complete as 
the material available has made it possible to provide. The general system of 
arrangement adopted is one that the writer finds to be more convenient and 
believes to be less unnatural than any system hitherto proposed. А conspectus of 
the system precedes the descriptive section, and is itself preceded by a review of 
its evolution and by a sketch of the distribution of the Asiatic species. The main 
object, however, is the delimitation of the species, and an attempt has been made, 
doubtless with incomplete success, to steer a middle course between the shoal- 
waters of over-differentiation and the whirlpools of excessive integration. In not a 
few instances, as will be seen, complete material of certain forms is wanting: while 
the defects, in several cases, leave us still in doubt as to the natural position, 
it is hoped that they do not leave us in doubt as to the validity of the species 
concerned. Ап ideal, because complete, knowledge of our Asiatic Dalbergias is 
- still a long way off, but the best means of attaining this knowledge is to provoke 
further research by indicating the points that are still in debate. То this end 
it seems therefore advisable to make available, here and now, all the information 
regarding this genus that the writer, during seven years of enquiry, has been able 
to collect. 
CALCUTTA ; 
5th April 1903, 
