BY J. H. MAIDEN. 495 



I made the following comment: — "The blacks had but one 

 name for this, the Ironbark Box, and the Ironbark {aider ophloia), 

 but Caley saw that they were different. Caley's surmise at 

 hybridisation in this case is marvellously shrewd." (See Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1901, p.339). 



It is only proper to emphasise Caley's discovery. He is 

 undoubtedly the first man who wrote down a statement that 

 hybridisation takes place in Eucalypts, which discovery is there- 

 fore a century old ! Little is known in regard to Caley's scientific 

 work, as he published little; and botanists do not clearly know 

 what became of most of his specimens. Careful examination of 

 his labels might show other important observations. At present 

 I would submit that the discovery to which I have already 

 alluded is a very valuable one, and he should be credited with it. 



E. SIDEROXYLON X MELLIODORA. 



I do not propose to give a hybrid a species-name if I am 

 satisfied, as in the present case, it is a h)^brid before I describe 

 it. This particular hybrid was collected by myself and Mr. J. L. 

 Boorman in May, 1902, near Murrurundi, N.S.W. Following is 

 a copy of my notes made on the spot at the time — " Yellow cast 

 of bark. A yellow box, though with some harder, more rugged 

 bark at the butt (though little more so than the melliodora near), 

 yet undoubtedly more a Yellow Box than an Ironbark. A very 

 hard tough interlocked timber of a Box character, of a brown 

 colour, not so yellow as typical E. melliodora sapwood usually is. 

 Not a red timber like sideroxylon is. The wood is more like 

 hemiphloia. At the same time the fruits, etc., are those of E. 

 sideroxylon. The E. sideroxylon around is typical. Kino dots 

 in bark as usual. Thin inner layer of bark as yellow as the pro- 

 verbial guinea and like that of melliodora. Timber red and 

 chippy, not interlocked. E. melliodora abundant in the 

 vicinity." 



As whether a tree is considered to be a hybrid or not must 

 depend on the character of the neighbouring species, it is 

 desirable, in collecting any unfamiliar forms, to take special note 



