July.] 

 1918J 



Hardy, Tall Trees of A u sir alia. 



47 



at us from the naturally regenerated forest in the juvenility 

 of a succeeding cycle. 



Trees of over 300 feet are not plentiful, but while we have 

 unexplored forests in inaccessible places it would be unwise 

 to say that finality has been reached with our present best record. 



Although accounts in scientific prints are not necessarily 

 perfect, those of popular journals, judging by some that we 

 have read, should be accepted with caution. Here are some 

 height figures, given at various times, some of which have been 

 referred to without enthusiasm by Mr. Maiden : — 



420 feet 



420 „ 



415 „ 



521 „ 



480 „ 



480 „ 



47i .1 



500 ,, 



Dandenongs 

 Blacks' Spur 



Cape Otway 



Blacks' Spur 



Baw Baw 



D. Boyle, 1862. 



Reported by H. Heaton as 



measured by F. v. M. 

 F. v. M., " Select Extra-Tropical 



Plants." 

 D. Boyle. 

 Klein, quoted by F. v. M., Jour. 



Bot. 

 H. Heaton (measured by F. v. M.) 

 " G. W. Robertson " (F. v. M. in 



" Extra-Tropical Plants "). 

 " W. G. Robinson " (F. v. M.) 



The last two probably refer to the same tree, and the name 

 of the surveyor should be G. W. Robinson. 



In the Lone Hand in 191 1 an article appeared in which the 

 writer deplored the incredulity of the times, and stated that 

 " the Baron " (F. v. Mueller) " made a practice not only of 

 estimating the heights of the tallest trees which came under his 

 notice, but of having them actually measured." The value of 

 the article may be measured by Victorian botanists and sur- 

 veyors in terms of the following extract : — " In this district 

 (Gippsland) a great number of trees measuring 300 feet have 

 been found, while specimens of 400 feet are not uncommon. 

 . . . Mueller is stated to have said that our gum-trees attain 

 a height of 500 feet, but the tallest tree even the Baron ever 

 measured was 480 feet ! " (The italics and the exclamatory 

 note are mine. — A. D. H.) 



Although we are not seriously concerned with estimates, the 

 following extracts from tables of " certified estimates," pre- 

 pared by Kerner, are of interest : — 



Height.— 



Peppermint Tree, Eucalyptus amygdalina 140-152 metres. 



Mammoth Tree, Sequoia gigantea . . 79-142 

 Diameter. — 



Mammoth Tree, Sequoia gigantea . . n 



Peppermint Tree, Eucalyptus amygdalina 8 



