212 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [chap. 



and Burmah, with a red-brown, fairly hard and close 

 wood, used for sleepers, &c. 



Mesua ferrea, the Iron-wood of Eastern Bengal, 

 Assam, South India, and Burmah, and one of the 

 hardest of timbers. If not so difficult to work it would 

 rival Pynkado for sleepers. 



Schima Wallichii, a rough, red, and very durable 

 timber of Bengal, which has been much used for bridges 

 and sleepers. 



Thespesia populnea, a moderately hard wood of the 

 Indian coasts and Burmah, used in carriage and cart 

 work, &c. 



Bonibax malabaricum, the " Cotton Tree " of India — 

 not to be confounded with the true Cotton Tree, however 

 — with a very soft light wood, used for packing-cases, 

 floats, &c. 



Heritiera littoralis, the Sundri of the tidal forests of 

 Bengal, Burmah, &c., with an extremely hard and 

 heavy dark red, close-grained wood, very durable and 

 used for boat-building. It is the chief timber of the 

 Sunderbunds, and is extensively employed in Calcutta. 



Melia indica, the Neem or Margosa of India, has 

 red hard wood, used for furniture; and M. Azedarach, 

 the "Persian Lilac," has a softer, beautifully marked 

 wood of great use in cabinet work. 



Swietenia Mahogani is the Mahogany, a large 

 evergreen tree, introduced from Jamaica and Central 

 America into India in 1795, and now cultivated in 

 Bengal and Burmah. 



Acer Campbellii is a Himalayan Maple extensively 

 used for planking, tea-boxes, &c., in the North-East, 

 and A.pictum is used in the North- West. 



Pistacia integerrima, the Pistacio Nut, and the Mango 

 {Mangifera indica) yield timbers used in India but 



