408 BOTANY OF THE DARLINC;, N.S.W., 



foliage for stock are figured and described in my book on the 

 indigenous " Forage Plants of Australia" (non grasses) published 

 in 1891. The most valuable graminaceous plants of that part of 

 the State are figured and described in my work on the "Grasses 

 of New South Wales," 1890, and "Australian Grasses," 1895. 

 Tn 1900, at the request of the President of the Royal Commission 

 on Western Lands, I wrote a voluminous report on the economic 

 \alue of the flora of the Darling and the best means of conserving 

 it. This is embodied in the Commissioners' Report to the Parlia- 

 ment of New South Wales. Since I first examined plants col- 

 lected in the Darling country I have made many botanical 

 excursions thither, both in good and bad seasons, and almost 

 every time have seen some plants in bloom that I had not pre- 

 viously observed in that condition. The vegetation is so dissimilar 

 from that growing on the eastern side of the Dividing Range 

 that it has always had a peculiar interest for me. Some writers 

 have described the western liora as sombre-looking and mono- 

 tonous; this observation to a certain extent is true, especially when 

 the pine forests, mallee, and scrub country are viewed from the 

 hills or mountain ranges; nevertheless it is on the whole most 

 interesting to the botanist, and much of it of great economic 

 value to the pastoralist. One of the most charming arljoreal 

 floral displays I ever saw in the interior of this country was west 

 of the Darling River where an open forest of Coolibar trees {Euca- 

 lyptus mic7'oiheca, F.v.M.) was in full bloom. The somewhat 

 pendulous smaller branches of these trees were so densely covered 

 with flowers that with the slightest breeze some of the lower ones 

 swept the ground. To obtain a good knowledge of the flora of 

 this region it is necessary to see and examine it at all times of 

 the year, and in favourable and unfavourable seasons. This I 

 have done, and by way of illustration may mention the fact that 

 on a comparatively small area between the Darling River and 

 Wanaaring one morning in a good season I collected more than 

 ninety distinct species of plants, and about eighteen months after- 

 wards the same ground was almost destitute of herbage, altliougli 

 several trees and shrubs were blooming profusely. 



