INDIA, I3UEMA, AND ANDAMAN ISLANDS 185 



protection. The vigorous poles and saplings which we find 

 in an area which has been annually burnt over are, in the 

 protected area, conspicuous by their absence " ; the reason 

 being that the young teak are suppressed and killed off by 

 the quicker-growing bamboos and inferior species. 



Bombax is a soft white wood which goes by many names 

 in India. White in colour when freshly cut it turns darker 

 on exposure ; it is very soft and perishable. It is probably 

 from the large deciduous tree Bombax malabariatm (B. 

 insigne grows in the Andamans as well as in India) ; it is 

 the silk cotton tree, and grows throughout the East. It 

 is used for planking, packing cases, tea boxes, toys, fishing 

 boats, coffins, lining of wells, etc. Some planks of " Man- 

 churian bombax," probably from trees of the same species, 

 appeared in a sale catalogue some time ago ; they were from 

 10 to 19 ft. long, 2 to 6 inches thick, and 8 to 19 inches 

 wide, but there was difficulty in disposing of them. The 

 same timber in another catalogue was called Malabar 

 bombax. It is one of the softest and lightest timbers 

 known. 



Average weight about 24 Ibs., but some specimens only 

 weigh 17 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Andaman Marblewood or Zebra Wood is from Diospyros 

 kurzii, one of the ebony-producing trees. The sapwood is 

 grey, the heartwood very dark and streaked with black and 

 grey in alternate layers. It may be had in sizes up to 

 20 ft. long and 9 inches square, is difficult to season, liable 

 to shrink and warp, and is used for cabinet work, furniture } 

 carving, walking-sticks, etc. 



Weight varies from 43 to 80 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Kokko (Albizzia Lebbek), the Siris tree, goes by a variety 

 of names and is common in India, Burma, and the 



