Description of the Woods in the Collection. 23 



Uses, Qualities, etc. "Liable to attack by insects. Is very 

 common, and can be got in logs up to 40 ft. in length, and squaring 

 up to 17 ins." (2). "Useful for indoor house work, tables, etc. 

 There are two or three kinds " (20). The test piece was unsound, 

 -and the following must be considered with due regard to this. 

 Saws easily, takes nails fairly well, planes easily and well, turns 

 indifferently and polishes well. Of doubtful value for export, 

 though it might compete with the common Mahoganies known as 

 " Bay woods." Sometimes confused with Dukalaballi, No. 23, on 

 -account of the similarity of the names. 



Authorities. 2. Bell, p. 5. 20. McTurk, p. 5. 



ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. 



Similar to those of Suradanni, No. 84. Compare No. 14 

 Frontispiece. 



Transverse Section. Darker in shade than the other sections. 



Pores. Visible to good sight as minute holes, large, consider- 

 -able variation. Evenly distributed, few and widely scattered ; single, 

 also many sub-divided groups of 2-3 Pores. 



Rays. Just visible with the naked eye, uniform, irregular, less 

 -or more than the width of a Pore apart, lightly avoiding the Pores ; 

 reddish. 



Rings. Apparently denned; boundary (?). Contour regular. 



Soft Tissue of no definite arrangement. 



Pith.( ?) 



Radial Section. Brilliant. The Pores are fine, brownish 

 -scratches, darker than the wood (see above). The Rays are readily 

 visible and slightly browner or redder than the wood. The Rings 

 are not indicated. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but lacking its brilliance. 

 The Rays are minute, but yet give a matt appearance to the sur- 

 face. They are about '5 m/m. high. 



Type Specimens. Authenticated by Bell, No. 22/2678. 



23. FICUS. SP. 

 Nat. Ord., URTICACE.E. Native Name, "DUKALABALLI" (2). 



Salient Features. " A dark brown, fairly close-grained, heavy, 

 liard wood." 



Physical Characters. Weight (so far recorded) 47f-56 Ibs. per 

 cubic ft. (my specimen is mostly Sapwood). Hardness, Grade 2, 

 .extremely hard; compare Boxwood. Smell or taste 0. 



Colour of Heartwood, dark brown ; a purplish tinge at times ; 

 -darkens but little on exposure to the air. Sharply defined from 

 the Sapwood. Surface bright. Sapwood yellowish-white; width 

 3J-4 ins. 



Bark. J-J in. thick, smooth like that of Beech, with prominent 

 raised, horizontal lines (lenticels). Hard, woody and brown 

 ^within. Surface of log beneath Bark striated or finely ribbed. 



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