320 BOTANY OF THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 



practically none. In old trees of Bull Oak the rough corky 

 bark often falls off, thus giving the trunk a somewhat smoother 

 appearance. 



In comparing the figure caused by the medullary rays in wood 

 from two species, it is necessary that the trees from which the 

 specimens are taken should be of about the same size, or the 

 results may be misleading. Thus a large tree of C. Luehmanni 

 will show broader rays than a small tree of C. quadrivalvis and 

 vice versa. 



The fruits of Bull Oak may generally be identified by their 

 haying both ends flat, the cone itself being made up of three rings 

 or whorls of seeds. It usually happens that in the flowering 

 stage some of the ovules escape being fertilised, and consequently 

 do not grow, the result being that the rings present a notched 

 or unfinished appearance. In the Lachlan district the fruits 

 mature about the month of January. 



Recently I found C. Luehmanni in Victoria and South Aus- 

 tralia, though previously it had not been recorded outside of New 

 South Wales. The circumstances surrounding this discovery are 

 somewhat unusual. Arriving at Serviceton at 11 p.m., and 

 having to wait four hours for the next train, I decided to have a 

 look at the flora, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour and the 

 absence of the moon. After going about half a mile, I saw the 

 outline of a tree top appearing in the star-light. While standing 

 under it, feeling the bark, a slight breeze suddenly stirred the 

 foliage, and from that well known murmuring sound came the 

 assurance that the tree was a Casuarina. After searching a few 

 more trees, mature fruits were found, which proved the species to 

 be C. Luehmanni. Serviceton is in Victoria, close to the South 

 Australian boundary, but subsequently I found that the species 

 extends about 12 miles into the latter State, while it is within 

 sight of the railwa}'- for many miles in Victoria, near Horsham, 

 Murtoa, Lubeck, cfec. 



It thus extends, somewhat in a semicircle, from South Aus- 

 tralia, across the north-west corner of Victoria, right through 

 New South Wales, and possibly a short distance into Queensland. 



