166 TWO WELL-KNOWN SPECIES OF EUCALYPTUS, 



As it has fruits and mature leaves similar to E. viminalis and 

 probably bark and timber of E. alba, I place it in botanical 

 sequence between these two species. 



As the " But But" of Gippsland, Baron von Mueller included 

 it in his E. . Stuartiana, but his description does not apply to 

 it, and as proved to me by the specimens and other evidence of 

 Mr. Howitt, the Baron was not at all familiar with the Gippsland 

 tree and described his species from trees growing at Croydon, 10 

 miles from Melbourne. 



It differs from the Baron's E. Stuartiana in — («) Its usually 

 petiolate, ov^ate-acuminate young leaves; (6) its longer buds, larger 

 and petiolate fruits, and obtuse operculum; (c) its whitish-grey 

 oil-containing "box" bark; {d) its whitish hard timber, and habit. 

 If bark and timber count for anything, the two trees should be 

 separated on these characters alone 



Timber. — It is a fairly hard, whitish-brown timber, but it is only 

 good for indoor work as it decays rapidly when exposed to the 

 air or placed in the ground. It is not used where strength and 

 durability are required; fairly good for fuel. 



Oil. — {a) Leaves. — 646 lbs. of leaves with branchlets, distilled 

 Feb., 1898, gave 59 ounces of oil, or an average of -571 per cent., 

 a very satisfactory result. The oil is a little red in colour, and a 

 few preliminary tests indicate it to be a good oil. 



(6) Barh. — This bark has an odour when fresh, and attempts 

 were made to extract the oil by steam distillation if possible. 

 Two distillations of about 80 lbs. each of finely chopped and 

 crushed bark were made and a small quantity of oil was obtained^ 

 about 2 drachms altogether. Such a small quantity of oil was 

 difficult to collect, but about 1 drachm was obtained. It is a red 

 oil, very fluid, with an odour little resembling Eucalyptus oil, and 

 gives no reaction for eucalyptol in the crude condition. It could 

 not be I'ectified, as the specimen was required for the Museum 

 collection. The evidence was sufficient to decide that the odour 

 given ofl' by the fresh bark is traceable to the presence of an 

 essential oil. The fact is interesting, as it is probably the only 



