THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 125 



And here let me offer a tribute of praise to Mr. Howitt's 

 " Eucalypts of Gippsland " (Trans. Royal Society Vict., ii.), 

 which I shall refer to presently. Mr. Howitt's descriptions are 

 so clear and explicit that one is never in doubt as to the tree to 

 which he refers ; the application of the proper botanical names 

 can be made when eucalyptologists have reached finality.* 



We have now no difficulty in determining E. dives in New 

 South Wales, at all events within a few hundred miles of its type 

 locality, but the species varies somewhat in the higher mountains 

 and plains near the New South Wales-Victoria boundary, and in 

 Tasmania also, and this has given rise to some confusion. 



The synonymy appears to be : — 



E. dives, Schauer, in "Walp. Repert.," ii., 926. 



E. dives, Schauer, in Woolls's " Flora of Australia," p. 241, and 

 '• Plants of New South Wales," p. 51. 



E. amygdalina, Labill., var. dives, F. v. M., Herb., Melb. 



E. amijgdalina, Labill., var. {b), Howitt, op. cit. 



E. Sieberiana, F. v. M., var. (6), Howitt, op. cit. 



E. amygdalina, Labill, var. latifolia, Deane and Maiden (Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xx., 609). 



E. dives, Schauer {ib. xxiv., 460.) 



E. delegatensis, R. T. Baker {ib., xxv., 305. 



E. iSieberiana, F. v. M., Deane and Maiden {ib., xxvi., 125). 



The bark is an important character in E. dives, being of a sub- 

 fibrous (Peppermint) texture. While this is very distinct from the 

 normal " Mountain Ash " bark {E. Sieberiana), which partakes 

 somewhat of an Ironbark character, it very closely resembles that 

 of E. amygdalina, which has helped to cause many botanists to 

 look upon it as a form of E. amygdalina. At the same time the 

 bark character requires to be observed with some care, as that of 

 E. Sieberiana sometimes exhibits a fibrous tendency, while that 

 of E. dives is sometimes somewhat indurated. 



Many of the Victorian specimens of E. dives are undoubtedly 

 very close to E. Sieberiana, and sometimes it is almost impossible 

 to separate then if mature leaves be alone available. If not too 

 old, however, they may be readily separated by the strong aroma 

 oiE. dives. In fact, E. dives in the bush and in the herbarium 

 brings itself under notice by its delicious aroma, and this may be 

 referred to as its most obvious character. 



The suckers of E. dives are broadish, sometimes very broad. 

 The narrowest suckers or seedlings are not very far removed from 

 the broadest form of those of E. amygdalina. As regards the 

 seedlings of E. Sieberiana {a), Howitt, the true Mountain Ash, 



* Mr. Howitt has been kind enough to read this paper, and his remarks 

 will be found in the form of fool-notes. 



