222 



THYMELMAGEJE. 



Description. — The wood occurs in irregular pieces, wTiicli 

 vary in colour from grey to dark-brown, according to the amount 

 of resin which they contain ; both light-coloured and dark 

 pieces are marked with longitudinal veins of a darker colour. 

 The best pieces show numerous cavities and sinuses produced 

 by the cutting away of wood less impregnated with resin ; they 

 sink in water. When a portion is chewed, it softens between 

 the teeth ; the taste is bitter and aromatic ; when burnt, it 

 diffuses an agreeable odour. 



Mr. J. G. Prebble has kindly furnished us with the following 

 interesting remarks upon the aloe woods of the Bombay 

 market: — ^'The true Agar woods are imported into Bombay, m 

 boxes holding about 1^ cwt., from Bankok, and usually via 

 Singapore or Bataiia. Some of the Parsee dealers in Chinese 



silks also import Agar from Hongkong, in small rectangular 



parcels holding about 1 lb. each, and bearing a yellow label with 

 the name of the packer In the Chinese character. This Agar 

 which I have examined is the Gaguli variety {A, AguUocha)i 

 and has been carefully dressed, and polished or painted black. 

 One or more false Agars composed of heavy resinous woods are 

 also imported from Singapore. The true Agars vary considerably 

 in the amount of resin they contain ; old and decayed samples 

 consist largely of resin. A good specimen yielded to Hanbury 

 48 per cent, of matter soluble in rectified spirit. Compact and 

 not apparently very resinous s'amples of Gaguli and Mawardi 

 Agar, treated successively with petroleum ether, ether, and 

 alcohol, gave : 



V olatileoil. 



Ilesin soluble 

 in ether. 



Resm soluble »n 

 alcohol, insoluble 

 in ether. 



Gaguli 



per cent. 



Mawardi 1-5 per cent. 



1 



13*8 per cent 

 11 '6 per cent 



9'4 per cent. 

 9-0 per cent 



The volatile oil is of a yellow colour, and possesses the 

 characteristic odour of the woods. It eives a reddish-brown 



* Science Papers, page 265. 



