DAMMAR, or Dammer, a resin, or rather series of resins, of the copal kind, obtained from various trees in India and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago. The resin known as dammar in British commerce is the produce of a huge pine tree, Dammara orientalis, which grows in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and other Eastern islands. It oozes in large quantities from the tree in a soft viscous state, with a highly aromatic odour, which, however, it loses as it hardens by exposure. The resin -is much esteemed in Oriental communities for incense burning. Dammar is imported into England by way of Singapore; and as found in British markets it is a hard, transparent, brittle, straw-coloured resin, destitute of odour. It is readily soluble in ether, benzole, and chloroform, and with oil of turpentine it forms a fine transparent varnish which dries clear, smooth, and hard. The Kaurie gum, or Dammar of New Zealand, is closely allied, both in source and properties, being produced by Dammara australis. Much of the New Zealand resin is found fossil in circumstances analogous to the conditions under which the fossil copal of Zanzibar is obtained. Dammar is besides a generic Indian name for various other resins, which, however, are little known in western commerce. Of these the principal are Black Dammar (the Hindustanee Kala-damar), yielded by Canarium strictum, and White Dammar, or Piney Varnish (Sufed-damar), the produce of Vateria indica. Sal Dammar (Damar) is obtained from Shorea robusta; Hopea micrantha is the source of Rock Dammar (the Malay Dammer-batu); and other species yield resins which are similarly named, and differ little in physical properties.