Description of the Woods in the Collection. 95 



Colour of Heartwood as above. " Reddish brown becoming 

 blackish " (2). Darkens but little on exposure to the air; very 

 sharply denned from the Sap wood; surface bright. Sapwood, oat- 

 meal colour; width from 2-4J ins. 



Bark. About y F in. thick; smooth; brown; fibrous; bast-like 

 within. Surface of log beneath Bark, smooth. 



Uses, Qualities, etc. "Considered incorruptible; makes ex- 

 cellent oars for boats " (21). Hard to saw; takes nails badly, 

 being too hard; planes moderately hard and badly; turns 

 moderately hard but well; polishes indifferently. (I have had 

 samples which, on the contrary, polished extremely well.) A 

 valuable and beautiful wood, which will find a ready sale for 

 turnery, Tunbridge ware, inlaying, etc. Sometimes confused with 

 Bania, No. 6, and Siribidanni, No. 82, on account of the great 

 similarity in colour and other physical characters. 



Authorities. 1. Aublett, p. 770. 2. Bell, p. 10. 9. Dalton, 

 p. 214. 16a. Kew Guide, p. 38. 17. Laslett, p. 453. 18a. Lind- 

 ley, p. 1112. 21. Miers. 28. Wiesner, p. 879. 7. DaGama, 

 p. 88. 



ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. 



Transverse Section. Nearly black. 



Pores. Visible with the unaided eye on account of their light 

 colour ; not diminishing in size towards the close of the season's 

 growth; little variation except in the groups; mostly single, some 

 sub-divided groups of 2-4 Pores (or perhaps even 7). Evenly 

 distributed; scattered; contents white; few in number. 



Rays, Visible with the lens, very fine indeed; uniform; 

 regular; rather less than the width of a Pore apart, undulating 

 and slightly avoiding the Pores. 



Rings. Not defined; boundary doubtful, though the Pore- 

 less zones may be some indication; contour regular. 



Soft Tissue of definite arrangement; type of Pterocarpus and 

 of Bania, No. 6. Very numerous, continuous, concentric lines 

 partly embedding and connecting the Pores ; width about half that 

 of a Pore. 



Pith.( ?) 



Radial Section. The Pores are very fine scratches, visible in 

 certain lights by means of their shining contents. The Rays are 

 minute flakes on the limit of vision. The Soft Tissue is not 

 visible except with the aid of the lens. 



Tangential Section as the Radial, but to keen sight the sur- 

 face (especially of the Sapwood) appears striated, in two direc- 

 tions at right angles. This is due to the Soft Tissue which runs 

 vertically, and to the horizontal (" stock werkartige ") arrange- 

 ment of the Rays, as in Mahogany. They are minute and about 

 1 m/m. high, and would scarcely make any impression if arrangec 



. Authenticated by Bell, No. 92/2748. Imp. 



Inst., No. 0297. 



