528 ON EUCAl YPTUS POLYAXTHEMOS, SCHAUEK, 



indifferent a.s to the use of the names " Slaty Gum or Red Box," 

 applying them indiscriminately as a very general rule. More 

 than one timber worker told me they were the same tree, and all 

 the evidence I accumulated points in the same direction. As 

 the confusion in regard to "Red Box and Slaty Gum" has become 

 considerable, I have at pp. 531-535 given full notes made in the 

 field by my collector and by other observers, and add the follow- 

 ing report from him which was written in the field : — 



" With reference to your instructions to collect all available 

 evidence in regard to Red Box and Slaty Gum, I respectfully 

 report that I went to Tallawang (some 6 miles from Gulgong) 

 out towards Cobborah, where it grows to fine tall trees, on the 

 ridgy ground near to the Reedy Creek; at Gulgong it grows all 

 around the district of a much more stunted growth. At Lue it 

 grows (large trees) about 5-6 miles in a western direction from 

 the railway line; the more stunted forms occur all around the 

 immediate district of Lue. There again at Rylstone, some 5 

 miles on the Ilford road, it again reaches to fine trees. 



" From a personal conviction and from reliable information, 

 the Slaty Gum and Red Box are identical. The term ' Slaty 

 Gum' is applied to the more robust trees of the ' Red Box' from 

 the cleaner stems, for these trees have a greater tendency to 

 throw off the bark more regularly, falling in ribbons, and not in 

 ' scales,' so to speak, as in the case of the less healthy trees; this 

 is not invariably the case, as exceptions do constantly occur. 

 This (April) seemingly is the season of the j^ear for shedding of 

 the bark A Mr. Taylor, native of Rylstone (a carpenter), says 

 there is no difference in the timbers or in the habit of the trees, 

 ' Slaty Gum ' being only larger than ' Red Box.' Mr. James 

 Holmes, Gulgong, who pointed out to me the tree at Reedy 

 Creek, calls ' Red Gum ' and ' Slaty Gum ' one and the same. 

 Mr. Hatton, living at Coomber, says that ' Slaty Gum' is nothing 

 but ' Red Box.' " 



Mr. Baker deals with the matter of Red Box and Slaty Gum 

 in these Proceedings (xxi. 448, 1896), and I think the conclusion 



