BY REV. W. WOOLLS, PH.D., F.L.S. 047 



of the large genus Melaleuca with its 100 species only 11 are found 

 in any part of Victoria. Judging from the greater area and the 

 physical geography of the S.E., region, one would imagine that it 

 would present a much richer Flora than that of the S.W., but such 

 is not the case ; and the fact remains yet unexplained. If we 

 could adopt the theory of regarding W. Australia as a kind of 

 centrum from which specie's emigrated to other parts of Australia, it 

 might be argued that a sufficient period of time had not yet elapsed 

 for a more equalised distribution of species ; but then, so far as 

 geclogical considerations may be permitted to influence our 

 conclusions, the comparative ages of the rocks lead to an opposite 

 opinion, for, according to the phenomena recorded by geologists, the 

 mountains of the East are far loftier and the rocks of a much 

 greater age than the depressed area of the West (Jukes as quoted 

 by Hooker). The distribution of Eucalyptus does not throw much 

 light on the question. This genus with the exception of a few 

 species extending to Timor and New Guinea, is entirely Australian, 

 and, according to Baron Muller's recent estimate, the species occur 

 in the following order : — 



Western Australia ... 46 



New South Wales 50 



Queensland 37 



Victoria 35 



South Australia 28 



North Australia 25 



Here again, as in the great majority of the Australian Myrtaceae 

 many species are endemic in the West and do not extend from it. 

 By Baron Muller's recent investigations, he finds that at least 37 

 species (and some of these differing very widely from any of the 

 Eastern forms) are peculiar to W. Australia. Of the remainder, 

 one occurs in N. Australia and Queensland, five in Victoria, and 

 N. S. Wales, and eight in South Australia. E. rostrata, so far as 

 yet known, is the only species common to all parts of the continent. 

 The number of the Western species will be considerably increased 

 when the Tropical vegetation of W. Australia has been more 



