CCCLV.— WEST AFRICAN MAHOGANY. 
For some time past a considerable amount of attention has been 
directed to the timber resources of Tropical Africa (sce Kew Bulletin for 
February 1891, p. 41), and under the name of African Mahogany, a dark 
reddish coloured wood, having some of the characters of true mahogany, 
has appeared in the Englisk market. This timber has been proved to 
be the produce of Khaya ets epee e a Ada belonging to the same 
natural order as Central Ameriean Mahogany. More recently, however, 
it seems that the term African Mahoga rs Yam been applied in British 
commerve to other woods than that furnished by Khaya ies Aap aentn 
and, in reference to this subject, Mr. James Irvine, of the firm of Irvi 
and Dundas, of aal has kindly furnished the Royal Gardens with 
some notes, w e here printed. 
It is obvious ‘that p is still much confusion as to the botanical 
sources of some of these woods, as will be seen from the comments made 
in square brackets, 
James Irvine, Esq., to Royar GagpENs, Kew. 
That this wood was to be found in — quantities on the Gold Coast 
of Africa has been known for some tim 
Sir Richard Burton mentions it in his “To the Gold Coast for Gold," 
where, at page 159, Vol. IL, he says: “There is an ample supply of 
* good bard timber, and amongst the trees are specialiy noted the copal, 
“ the g gamboge ri ch in sticky juice, the Brovi, said to be the hardest 
e wood, and the dum or African Mahogany A ee well 
* known in Ceylon as excellent material for boat-buildi 
[The copal tree here referred to is probably a species ‘of Copaifera, 
the gamboge tree is doubtless Symphonia globulifera, L., which affords 
the well known “ Hog” or “ Doctors’ ” gum of Jamaica. The scientific 
name of the tree called * Brovi" we are unable to trace. There seems 
to be an error in referring the native name dum and Atrican Mahogany 
to Oldfieldia ayricana, Bth., which furnishes the African Oak or Teak 
of commerce, a timber used for ship-builaing ; ; it is extremely heavy and 
of a dark brown colour. ‘ Duth” is probably synonymous with “ Odum,” 
the native name applied to Chlorophora excelsa, Bth. and Hook, f. It 
is a tree belonging to the natural order Urticaceg. See Kew Bulletin, 
February 1891, p. 
Sir Alfred Moloney, i in his work on the * Forestry of West Africa," 
gives a much more extended reference to it [West African Mahogany]. 
The importation of this wood commenced in Liverpool in the autumn 
of 1836, and during that year about 250 tons were received, and in the 
following three years the supplies ranged from 150 to 250 tons, whilst 
700 tons eame forward in 1890. From that date the import has gone on 
by leaps and bounds, as we find that 1891 gave 4,300 tons, to be followed 
in 1892 by about 7,500 tons, and for the present year the import has been 
quite 50 per cent. more than that for 1892, atte at least 11,000 
to 12,000 tons for the 12 months ending December next. 
. It meets with an immediate sale, and the fortnightly auctions clear off 
i the import of one steamer — the next arrives 
"The trees are to over an extent of coast line of quite 200 
. miles, running back into the interior 80 to 100 miles, and through the 
whole of this region the numberless creeks, rivers, and lagoons afford a 
ready = — mode of transit to the home-going steamers. 
