BY THE REV. W. WOOLLS. 65 



its age, and that even in some cases one side of a tree has better 

 wood than the other. The soil also is said to affect the character 

 of the wood. Without seeing the bark as well as the wood, even 

 experienced men are deceived, and I have heard of cases in which 

 inferior species have been passed off as iron-bark for railway 

 sleepers. 



The late lamented Tenison- Woods, F.G.S., F.L.S., who had paid 

 considerable attention to the genus Eucalyptus, was of opinion 

 that much might be done by studying the shape, size, and 

 peculiarities of the seeds, and he had commenced collecting them 

 with that view. There are great differences in the seeds, as may 

 be seen by the figures in Baron Mueller's Eitccdyptographia, and of 

 the 100 species there illustrated, the following have a membrane 

 or wing attached to them. 



E. abergiana. E. tetragona. 



E. pachyphylla. E. ficifolia. 



E. corymbosa. E. oldfieldii. 



E. setosa. E. gamojihylla. 



E. ptychocarpa. E. pyriformis. 



E. foelscheana. E. santalifolia. 



E. todtiana. E. tessalaris. 



It is well to place on record any further differences that may be 

 noticed, as they may serve as notes for the fixing of species ; but 

 probably nothing is of greater importance than the shape of the 

 fruit, the position of the capsule, the number of its cells, and the 

 appearance of the valves. Some years ago, when writing about 

 Eucalyptus, I remarked that, "viewed practically, Baron Mueller's 

 method of grouping our Eucalypts, according to the nature and 

 texture of the bark, is the best system which has yet been promul- 

 gated ; and whilst future observations may render it more precise 

 by defining with accuracy the particular group under which each 

 species should be ranged, the basis of the system is likely to be 

 permanent." The anthereal system had not then been elaborated, 

 nor was I aware that the cortical system was liable to any serious 

 exceptions. I do not see, however, any reason to alter the opinion 

 I expressed, for by paying more attention to the figure and 

 openings of the anthers than was thought of at that time, any 

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