A METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION OF SOME HARDWOODS, 247 
cases of course heart-wood being used. The heart-wood 
was darker than the sap-wood, but the extract was some- 
what lighter in colour, and the reactions showed a corres- 
ponding variation. It seems evident, therefore, that some 
lack of uniformity, as far as depth of colour is concerned, 
may occur in different sections of the heart-wood of one log. 
It is evident that the colour of the timber is no criterion 
of the colour of the extract. Very often a light coloured 
timber will give a much darker extract than one which is 
dark red in colour. Thus E. paniculata, White or Grey 
Ironbark, gave a dark brown extract, whereas that obtained 
from a Red Ironbark such as HE. crebra, was almost without 
colour. 
Since any reference to colour can only be more or less 
vague without comparison with a recognised colour stan- 
dard, no stress has been put upon the description of such 
-colourations, It is for many reasons essential that an 
actual comparison be made at the same time, and with the 
same conditions, between the doubtful specimen and those 
timbers which it most nearly resembles. On account of 
the variation which has been shown to exist in the extracts 
of different specimens of the same species, it is impossible 
to do more than indicate how this method can be applied. 
It is clearly impossible at this stage, at any rate, to attempt 
any key to identification based on such colour reactions. 
Where applicable, however, this method has the great 
advantage that it enables one to work with small Samples 
which are often submitted for identification, and which are 
difficult to compare on account of their size. It is also 
quick, and much easier to apply than a microscopic exam- 
ination necessitating sections, which are almost impossible 
to prepare satisfactorily except by an experienced worker. 
Summary.—In order to ascertain whether an accurate 
method of identification of certain hardwoods could be 
