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ON  THE  KINO  TREE  OF  WEST  AFRICA. 
minute  fragments  of  wood,  more  or  less  united  with  it,  and  this 
circumstance  has  already  been  noticed  by  several  writers  who 
have  given  a  description  of  those  samples  which  had  formerly 
been  transmitted  to  England.  Owing  to  its  extreme  brittleness, 
whensoever  the  larger  masses  are  fractured,  the  fragments  are 
necessarily  small  and  pulverulent,  inodorous,  of  an  irregular  an- 
gular form,  those  from  the  interior  being  shining,  and  of  a  deep 
ruby  color,  ultimately  acquiring  a  brownish  shade  by  atmos- 
pheric exposure.  Kino  has  a  peculiar  grittiness  and  flavor  when 
first  tasted,  combined  with  a  certain  degree  of  aromatic  sweet- 
ness, not  immediately  perceptible,  and  distinct  from  the  rough 
and  astringent  action  it  subsequently  exerts  on  the  membranes  of 
the  mouth.  The  most  propitious  time  for  procuring  this  gum  is 
in  the  months  of  March  and  April,  from  trees  of  moderate  di- 
mensbns.  These  are  to  be  selected  principally,  since  in  them 
the  sap  is  more  abundant,  and  consequently  affords  a  larger  sup- 
ply than  others.  The  means  most  efficient  to  facilitate  its  exu- 
dation is  by  a  number  of  transverse  incisions  or  abrasions  in  the 
bark,  a  few  feet  from  the  ground. 
The  generic  title  of  Pterocarpus  has  been  obtained  from  the 
Greek  words  ntspov  a  wing,  and  **/>»•<*  a  fruit,  in  consequence  of 
the  pods  being  encircled  by  a  broad  wing ;  and  that  of  erina- 
ceus,  the  Latin  name  for  the  hedgehog,  from  the  numerous  bris- 
tles that  protect  them,  and  which  have  been  supposed  to  bear 
some  resemblance  to  those  of  this  animal.  Hence  the  English 
denomination  of  the  hedgehog  fruited  Pterocarpus.  The  Man- 
dingo  designation  for  the  kino  tree  in  the  Gambia  is  Kdno,  that 
of  the  Woloffs  Waine,  and  the  Foulahs  Bellenda.  Various 
other  appellations  have  been  conferred  upon  it  in  different  coun- 
tries, the  Mandingoes,  in  the  vicinity  of  Sierra  Leone,  terming 
it  Bemhee,  the  Soosus  Bimbi,  while  in  several  regions  of  Sene- 
gambia  it  is  recognized  by  that  of  Kari.  The  origin  of  the 
term  kino  is  involved  in  some  doubt.  The  late  Dr.  Pereira  re- 
marks that  he  has  been  unable  to  trace  its  derivation,  but  con- 
siders that  the  Hindu  name  of  Kuenee  or  Kueni  may  probably 
be  its  source.*  Dr.  Royle  has  long  been  of  opinion  that  it  was 
likewise  taken  from  Kuenee  or  Kini,  applied  to  a  similar  exu- 
*  Elements  of  Materia  Medica,  vol.  ii.,  part  2,  p.  1841. 
