696 BOTAXY OF THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 



Marsden, I decided to visit the spot if fortune should ever take 

 me in that direction. Later in the same year I had to pass 

 through Marsden, so rode out to the locality indicated. The 

 country consists of plains sparsely timbered with Acacia jMiidula, 

 Geijera jmrvijiora, Hakea leucoptera, Casuai'ina Cambagei, Hetero- 

 denclrcn olecefolium, EremojJiila Mitchelli, EucalyjHus Woollsiana, 

 and X populifolia. When within about half a mile of my destina- 

 tion, an opening in the timber enabled me to see a cluster of shining 

 leaves which had that characteristic sheen so well known by 

 travellers among the Brigalow, and a closer inspection proved 

 that the trees were Acacia harpophylla, F.v.M., as surmised. 

 The fact of Brigalow growing in this locality is full of interest, 

 as the species is chiefly a Queensland one, but comes into New 

 South Wales in considerable quantity on the north, though 

 thinning out as ib extends southward, and occurring only in 

 patches. The most southern patch, other than that under dis- 

 cussion, with which I am acquainted in the interior, is at Nyngan, 

 and I have travelled considerably over the area included between 

 Dandaloo, Nyngan, Nymagee, Mount Hope and Condobolin with- 

 out ever having heard of it. The most southern point recorded for 

 Brigalow is Scone, on the eastern watershed (vide previous paper, 

 Part iii., p. 209). Marsden, which is almost due west of Sydney, 

 is nearly 120 miles south of Scone (or 230 miles south-west), and 

 150 miles south of Nyngan. 



Instead of finding one large tree surrounded by small ones, I 

 found a cluster ranging from 10 to 30 feet high covering an area 

 of nearly five acres. An enclosure roughly ten chains north and 

 south by five chains east and west would include the whole clump. 

 Most of the trees were very shapely, throwing out branches at a 

 few feet from the ground. An east and west fence passes 

 through the northern half. A search for the original tree resulted 

 in the discovery of an old stump standing about 10 feet high, 

 and two feet in diameter at the ground, though tapering 

 considerably towards the top. This was situated about the 

 centre of the extreme western edge, thus showing that the 

 spread of seed from this tree must have been caused by winds 



