76 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



Ebony, Green. Source dubious. (Possibly Tecoma Leucoxylon, Mart.^) 

 Weight, 72 lbs. 2 oz. West Indies. 



This hard, heavy wood is obtainable only in small pieces of round 

 section, varying in diameter from 2h to 6 inches. The sap-wood is 

 yellowish- white, while the heart-wood is browTiish-yellow, tinged more 

 or less with bright bronze-green, and traversed with deep brown and 

 yellow stripes. This dense wood, of nearly uniform texture, yields a 

 very smooth bright surface which is cold to the touch. My specimen 

 has no scent whatever. Another specimen, which was sent to me by 

 Dr. Girdwood, is of a much darker and duUer green, and possesses a most 

 fragrant scent. It is evidently of a different species. It is used for linings 

 and bandings in cabinet work and inlay, and is w^ell suited for turnery. 



Holtzapffel, writing of the wood imported in his day from the West 

 Indies, including Jamaica, says : "It cleans remarkably well. The 

 dust is very pungent and changes to red when the hands are washed 

 with soap and water. The wood is very much used for dyeing, and it 

 contains so much resinous matter that the negroes in the West Indies 

 employ it in fishing like a torch." 



In transverse section the concentric layers are marked by the 

 alternation of Hght and dark concentric zones. The pores and medullary 

 rays are in\isible to the naked eye ; with the lens the former, largely 

 plugged, stand out as j^ellowish-white spots and the latter as thin, light 

 Hnes. The pores contain a yellowish to dark-red substance. 



Ebony, Macassar. Weight, 69 lbs. 2 oz. 



This w'ood is imported in large billets and round logs which generally 

 vary in size, ranging from 10 to 30 inches, with an average of 16 inches 

 in diameter, while good lengths of 6 to 16 feet are prociurable. It is 

 fairly sound, and good sizes free from defect can be easily obtained. 

 It is of a fairly dense, close grain, but is not so good in this respect as the 

 ebonies of the West Coast of Africa. The colour ranges from dark brown 

 to black, and a large proportion of the logs are streaked with yeUow or 

 3'ellowish brown, some very handsomely figured pieces being occasionally 

 found. These are generally selected for special ornamental work, such 

 as brush backs, mirror handles, and veneers. 



On the tangential section the gum shines brightly in the slightly open 



^ Professor Groom says that " The name ' green ebony ' is given to several woods. 

 One of these is Brya Eboiiis, DC, from the West Indies. Another is Tecoma 

 Leucoxylon, vdth. which the name is specially associated. The sample agrees in many 

 respects, but not perfectly, wth the pubhshed descriptions of this. It also resembles 

 the Nicaraguan wood known as ' bois d'or,' but from this and from Brya it differs in 

 that its medullary rays are not arranged in horizontal series to form tiers. As 

 opposed to greenheart the vessels are so fine that as delicate scratches along the 

 grain they are invisible to the naked eye." 



