INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY EXHIBITION. 77 
was even then much too crowded to properly display many of 
the rare and valuable articles of which it consisted. However, it 
was admirably arranged, considering the confined space, under the 
direction of Dr Russell, the Commissioner for the Colony, assisted 
most efficiently by Dr Imlach; and alike from a scientific and 
popular point of view, there was no more attractive court in the 
Exhibition. The primeval forests of the valleys of the Essequibo, 
the Demerara, the Berbice, and the Corentyn abound in splendid 
marketable timber. The monarch of these South American 
solitudes is the “ Mora” (Mora excelsa, of Bentham), which is 
said often to attain to a height of 300 feet, and a girth of 18 
feet. The wood of this tree is hard and teak-like in texture, and 
has been found especially suitable for railway sleepers in warm 
countries. ‘“ Green-heart” (Vectandra Rodiai), various “ Cedars,” 
and other furniture woods are in abundance—one new timber 
specially brought under notice being a resinous wood called 
“ Wallaba” (Zperua falcata), which has been found very service- 
able for all kinds of cooper-work. Several very fine specimens 
were exhibited of the rare and costly “‘ Letter-wood” (Lrosimum 
Aubletii), so much sought after for inlaying and such purposes. 
One peculiar tree shown, named ‘‘ Yarooro” (Aspidosperma excelsa), 
grows in shape like a deeply fluted column, and is said to be 
greatly in request by the Indians for making paddles. Cutting 
off one of the flutings, they have almost a paddle ready made, and 
having no cross grain, the wood is very durable. Specimens of 
the timber of over 100 trees were included in the collection, the 
sections shown being all of a substantial, many of them of a 
great size. Of the parasites and fungi of woods there was a 
large and varied representation, presenting a wide field for the 
study of the botanist—the fungi of British Guiana being 
as yet undescribed. The country was also shown to be 
exceedingly rich in fibre-bearing plants, among these being 
a very serviceable cotton, which is used by the Indians 
for various purposes. The collection was rich in specimens 
of what may be called the curiosities of a tropical forest, not 
the least instructive of which were the illustrations of the 
life and habits of the Indians of these parts. The collection of 
medicinal barks was a numerous and interesting one, and con- 
tained several kinds likely to prove valuable in pharmacy. A 
large and varied collection of the tree and other seeds of the 
colony were exhibited, but as only the vernacular names were 
