CATALOGUE OF THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 259 



rings and spots, which, resembhng the marking of a snake, accounts for 

 its name. It is principally valued for use for walking-sticks, well- 

 marked pieces suitable for this purpose realising, especially in Paris and 

 New York, very high prices. It is also used for handles of umbrellas 

 and parasols, for inlay work, bows for archery, and fiddle bows. The 

 sap-wood is of a bright Ught yellow colour, and Stone {Timbers of 

 Commerce), suggests that it might be used as a substitute for boxwood. 

 So far, however, the sap-wood has not been imported. 



In a private note B. Bradley speaks of letter- wood as being a 

 different species, " not so good." 



The pores are very scarce and exceedingly small. The medullary 

 rays are numerous and variable ; some which are very sharp and pro- 

 minent have fine, small secondary rays running between them. 



Snakewood, Indian. Strychnos colubrina, Linn., and S. Nux-vomica, 

 Linn. India. 

 These woods are not important, and are not encountered in ordinary 

 commerce in the United Kingdom. 



Sneezewood. Pteroxylon utile, Eck. and Z. Weight, 65 - 75 lbs. 

 South Africa. 

 This wood, valuable as it is for its great durabiUty, is so fuUy 

 appreciated and utiHsed in its native country that it is unHkely ever to 

 have much commercial importance in the United Kingdom. In common 

 with some other timbers, though in sneezewood probably in a greater 

 degree than anj'-, the dust from the wood causes sneezing, which is, of 

 course, the origin of the name. 



SoPHORA. Sophora japonica, Linn. China, Japan. 



This wood is known in Japan as yen-ju or en-ju, and has a 

 close, firm, hard texture with a somewhat interlocked grain. Elwes and 

 Henry say that " the wood, according to Shirasawa, differs remarkably 

 in the colour of the heart-wood and sap-wood. It is tough and durable, 

 though hght and coarse-grained ; and the annual layers are marked by 

 broad bands of open cells. In Japan it is used for the pillars and frames 

 of their wooden houses." 



Spondias mangifera, Pers. The Hog Plum. Weight, 26 lbs. India, 

 Burma, Ceylon, Andaman Islands. 

 This is a soft and spongy grejnsh-white wood, of which one of the 

 vernacular names is " tongrong." The timber is of Uttle, if any, com- 

 mercial value. 



