3. PREFACE. 



Most of the specimens in this collection are from young, 

 quickly-grown trees. This has been an advantage to us in respect 

 to the descriptive work, but we feel that a higher opinion of the 

 quality could have been expressed if the trees had been more 

 mature. Specimens from other sources that we have examined 

 have convinced us that we might have expressed a higher opinion 

 of these woods in almost every instance. 



We are indebted to Hon. A. G. Bell for information con- 

 tained in his report, to the works of John Miers, Michael McTurk, 

 Thomas Laslett and Julius Weisner in particular; also to others 

 enumerated in the bibliography for native names of trees and 

 like details. A small collection of the woods of Dutch Guiana, 

 from Mr. A. H. Berkhout; another of those of British Guiana, 

 from the Rev. J. Aiken ; a third rec ived from the Imperial 

 Institute some years ago; Thos. Laslett's collection now in our 

 possession, and Noerdlinger's sections of woods, have been of 

 material assistance, for which we return sincere thanks. 



For much kind assistance in the task of identifying the botanical 

 *pecimens we have to thank the staff of the Botanical Department 

 of the British Museum, especially Messrs. E. G. Baker and 

 J. Spencer Moore. Owing to lack of sufficient material much 

 time and effort led, in several instances, only to negative results. 



As it is hoped that the book will be used by those who may 

 be without any knowledge of Vegetable Histology, all scientific 

 terms have been avoided where possible. 



Many woods have been labelled with systematic names upon 

 insufficient grounds, and writers have passed them on from one 

 to another until these names have become well-established errors. 

 Wherever we have found it necessary to correct a systematic name, 

 we have used our own judgment in retaining the alternative (native, 

 popular or trade) names, that have become associated with them. 

 For instance, Nos. 73 and 74 are Purplehearts. The former is 

 reputed to be Copaifera pubiflora var bracteata, or C. bracteata, 

 and under this name mention of commercial Purpleheart is made 

 in many books; whereas No. 74, " Saka," is the Purpleheart of 

 the English market, and turns out to be Peltogyne paniculata. Bth. 

 Notwithstanding this alteration, we retain the alternative names 

 where we are satisfied that they belong to the wood Saka, and 

 not to Copaifera. 



The illustrations being of the nature of an afterthought are not 

 so good a selection as we could have made had we had an illustrated 

 work in view from the beginning. The choice has been difficult 



