I04 Hart, Eucalypts about Creswick and Clunes l\o\^'^\xxi\' 



on in this forest. It extends on to the tops of ridges, accom- 

 panying E. dives on this dry ground after E. Stitartiana has 

 ahnost ceased, but it is not here of the same growth. It occurs 

 on dry, high-level gravels on the summits of some of the hills 

 south of Creswick, but is stunted. In the lower country to 

 the north-west of Creswick there are low spreading trees of 

 this species, and it is found in the same form with /:. elctophora, 

 of somewhat similar habit, west of Clunes. Further north it 

 seems less common. The summer conditions are, no doubt, 

 gradually becoming too severe for it. 



An interesting comparison seems possible with a description 

 of its occurrence about Adelaide, where it is said to occupy 

 the highest parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges, and. according 

 to another account, especially on sandy soils. The analogy 

 to the occurrence on Mount Beckworth is evident, for there 

 it keeps the highest levels — at least on the north slopes — and 

 the granitic soil would possess the easily permeable and easily 

 penetrable character of sandy soils. It would appear, then, 

 that even with rainfalls quite moderate, and in warm countrj-, 

 it can continue on the higher lands, the " sandy soil " 

 suggesting assistance from a good deep root-run. 



E. Stiiartiana avoids the driest situations in the ranges about 

 Creswick ; it does not extend to the volcanic plains, nor have 

 I noticed it on the high level volcanic country. It does not 

 appear to be present on the bedrock country near and beyond 

 Clunes. 



The occurrence of the Red Stringybark to the south-west 

 of the Creswick railway station has been examined and its 

 limits traced. A count of trees was made on a strip ; the 

 growth was nearly all coppice, but each clump of stems w^as 

 counted as one. In the central part of the line on the middle 

 elevations of the ridge, and with a north-eas^ aspect, the clumps 

 once reached a frequency of over 700 to the acre, and of these 

 over 90 per cent, were Red Stringybark. From this place it 

 became less common, till it ceased to occur. It reached the 

 top of a ridge at moderate elevation for a short distance, and 

 continued a little way down the south-west fall. Around the 

 Stringybark area was the usual mixture of E. obliqua, E. 

 Stuartiana, and E. dives, and these trees also occurred w4th it. 

 If the Red Stringybark had not been there, these species could 

 have been thoroughly at home on the area it occupies. Red 

 Stringybark has practically complete possession over part of 

 the area, but it is a situation where we would expect E. 

 Stuartiana to be conspicuous. The occurrence is strongly 

 suggestive of a not very old invasion by a strong competitor. 

 There are, of course, other alternatives ; some detail of past 

 history or undetected soil peculiarity may have given this 

 tree the advantage. 



