I 



COPAL. 55 



surfaces show a yellowish brown, transparent or trans- 

 lucent center. High melting-point up to 300° C. 



West African Copals. — A variety of copal comes from 

 different parts of West Africa. These, like southeast 

 African sorts, are usually from recent fossil sources. 



South American Copals. — From different members of 

 living Caesalpinaceae, mainly from Hymcncoa Conrbarii, 

 L., and also frqpi Trachylohiiim, Vouapa, and Ictca, 

 species indigenous to Brazil, Guiana, Colombia, and the 

 Antilles. These occur in root-shaped pieces, 10 cm. 

 long, 2 to 3 cm. thick, with irregular warty surface. 

 In color they vary from yellow to deep green, very clear 

 and homogeneous. They are not as hard as the African 

 copals, and they have a lower melting-point, 200° C. 

 The taste is bitter and it has a sourish, mucilaginous 

 odor. 



Manila Copals. — Varieties of copal resin are found 

 throughout these Indian islands, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, 

 the Philippines, especially in Luzon and the Moluccas. 

 These copals are widely used, being of the cheaper grades. 



They are derived mainly, according to most authors, 

 from Valeria Indica, L., but Wiesner is inclined to believe 

 that more of the Manila copals are really derived from 

 Dammara orientalis. The copals derived from species 

 of the Dipterocarpecu are distinguished from those derived 

 from the Conifer ecu by the solubility of the former in 

 chloral hydrate. It is largely according to this chemical 

 test that Wiesner rejects Valeria as the origin of these 

 Manila copals. 



The resin appears as lumpy, root-like, and tear-like 

 fragments. There is no weather crust, such as is seen in 

 the East and West African copals and in the Kauri copal. 

 It is opaque and turbid, becoming clearer in the inner 

 mass. The colors are extremely variable, brownish, gray 

 to milk white, sometimes honey-yellow. The taste is 

 aromatic and the resin adheres to the teeth in biting. 



