THE TECHNOLOGIST. [June 1, 1864. 



486 THE TIMBER TREES OF CEYLON. 



of white ants ; used for bandy- wheels, ploughshares, fancy and cabinet 

 work. Iron tools said to be sharpened on this wood ; but during an 

 experience of several years in opening boundaries, I found the coolies 

 select any bit of half-decayed wood, on which, with the help of sand, 

 they especially perform this operation. 



S. potatorum, Linn. " Ingini-gaka," S. ; " Thetta-marum," T. — The 

 well-known clearing nut-tree. Abundant from Putlam northward to 

 Jaffna. Wood variously described as hard and serviceable, and as use- 

 less, except for firewood. 



Gaertnera Kamigii Wight. " Pera-tarnbala," S. — A common shrub. 



Bignoniace^:. 



Calosanihes Tndica, Blume. " Totilla," S. ; " Vanga," or " Pana 

 Woodachie-maruni," T. — A common plant in fences, but wood soft, 

 spongy, and nearly useless, though every part of the tree is used medi- 

 cinally on the Malabar coast. 



Spathodea Rheedii, Wall. " Dij-a-danga," S.- — A small tree, generally 

 found on marshy ground. Wood whitish, said to be strong ; used in 

 Ceylon for buoys for fishing-nets, models of dhouies, &c. 



S. Adenophylla, D. C. " Ela-palol," S. — Not indigenous ; rare about 

 Ceylon. Too scarce to be valuable as a timber tree. The bark is in 

 great repute as a medicine by the Singhalese. 



Stercospermum clielonoides, T>. C. ; Bignonia salina, Moon: " Lunu- 

 madala " or " Goda-danga," S. ; " Vela-padrie," T. — Affects salt-marshes 

 and dry ground up to 2,000 feet. Wood high-coloured, hard, durable, and 

 of much use amongst the inhabitants of the hills of India, where it is 

 plentiful. 



S. suaveoleus, D. C. " Palol," S. ; " Padrie," T.— Pound near Bud- 

 dhist temples in the south of the island, and at Kandy . Like its congener, 

 " Ela-palol," its bark is in great request. Wood like last-named, but of 

 a redder hue. Strong and elastic, fitted for making bows. 



Millingtonia hortensis, Lin. fil. — Wood white and firm, and close- 

 grained. Bark very spongy, yielding an inferior kind of cork. 



BORAGINACE.&. 



Cordia Myxa, Linn. " Lolu," S. ; " Vidi-marum," T. — Found from 

 the coast to the Central Province. Wood soft ; said to have furnished 

 the timber from which the Egyptian mummy-cases were made. 



Ehretia Icevis, Roxb. — Common near Colombo. Small tree, but in 

 India pretty large, the wood being used by the hill-people for many 

 purposes. 



ACANTHALEjE. 



Some species of the genus Strobilanthis, the well-known " Nillu " 

 plant, and which belong to this order, are used as sticks to put in mud- 

 walls in India. 



