173 MR. 8. MOORE ON THE FLORA 
destination did the daybreak restore it. We had traversed the 
Jarrah forest-region the evening before, and were now passing 
over red soil through well-wooded country of which the vegeta- 
tion consisted, in its main feature, of gum-trees *, much lower in 
stature and sparser in habit than the giants of the Jarrah region. 
When, a few days afterwards, we started from Southern Cross 
with a small camel-train for Siberia, situated some 120 miles in a 
north-easterly direction, the gum-trees were left behind a few 
miles out of Southern Cross, and we entered a broad stretch of 
country thickly covered with shrubby vegetation, while the soil 
had changed from red to white or yellow, an indication of under- 
lying granite rocks. This shrub-bearing region with pale scil 
extends to Siberia, except for some intervening treed belts with 
red soil and some salt lakes and “salt-bush” flats. At intervals 
along the route one passes large granite outercps, where alone 
water is to be had, if at all. The drought was very severe when 
we passed through, and we began to be seriously apprehensive 
of disaster ; but, thanks to a timely thunderstorm, our journey 
was performed without further difficulty. In coming down by 
railway from Coolgardie more than eighteen months afterwards, 
I passed through the same wide belt of shrubbed land, of which 
the chief characteristic is the abundance of Myrtacex belonging, 
for the most part, to the tribe Chamealaucice. Among the few 
plants secured in this part of the journey may be mentioned 
Marianthus lineatus, F. Muell., Cassia artemisioides, Gaudich., 
Loudonia aurea, F. Muell., Kunzea sericea, Turcz., Olearia ramu- 
losa, Benth., and the new species PAyllota lycopodioides, Acacia 
sibirica, and Helichrysum puteale. One of tle most striking 
features about the vegetation of the West Australian desert, or 
at least of those parts of it visited by me, is the absence of the 
well-known “ Black-Boy " (Xanthorrhaa Preissii, Endl.) : except 
for a narrow be't between Southern Cross and Siberia, where a 
few diminutive individuals, probably of this speeies, were seen, 
and a similar belt up country between Yilgangie and Uladdie, 
this plant, so abundant nearer the coast, was not met with east 
of Southern Cross. 
From Siberia we made our way, vid Goongarrie or Ninety 
Mi'e to Mount Margaret. The country between Siberia and 
Goongarrie is similar to that at Southern Cross, the soil being 
* These gum-trees appear to be Eucalyptus salmonophloia, E. redunca, &c. 
