J''i"'1 Hardy, The Mallee : Ouyen to Pinnaroo. 155 



1914 J 



during Mr. Crosbie's wanderings, he once found a crab-hole 

 of water, sent us four miles in a north-easterly direction, over 

 alternating sand-hills and little flats, the latter carrying salt-bush, 

 bead-bush, and mesembryanthemum, or on slightly sloping ground 

 much Porcupine. " Wire-bush " is a name locally apphed to 

 several acacias — A. lineata, A. calamifolia, A. rigens — which 

 are to be found in this district. Here and there Melaleuca 

 iincinata on higher sandy ground was associated with a lowly, 

 switch-like shrub with Kunzea-hke flowers with yellow petals 

 (not collected or identified). The Mallee eucalypts of several 

 species measured about 10 feet. We reached the water none 

 too soon. Already shallow and muddy, the supply was fast 

 evaporating. Strained to eliminate rubbish and organisms, 

 it made good tea, and, before returning to One-tree Plain, 

 more was boiled for water-bag supply for the long ride on 

 the morrow. 



Much of the Mallee eucalyptus in the vicinity of this crab- 

 hole is Hke that which is scattered through the Mallee district, 

 and which is denied specific rank by some botanists. Its 

 coriaceous, grey-green, broad leaves single it out from amongst 

 other species, such as E. gracilis, E. uncinaia, and E. oleosa ; 

 and if it be not E. dumosa, and only a variety of E. incrassata, it 

 is a well-marked variety, with much smaller and less ornate 

 fruits and buds, different time of flowering, and inchnation to 

 keep to lower ground, while E. incrassata grows luxuriantly 

 on the low, better-soil sand-hills. Before returning to 

 One- tree Plain we examined a grove of Casitarina 

 lepidophloia, as Belar often indicates a water-holding soil. 

 There was no water, but we came upon the site of the camp 

 of the survey party which, 25 years or so ago, marked the line 

 of the 142nd meridian. Here were the old tent-pegs still 

 sticking in the ground, and on being withdrawn were seen to 

 be decayed only about a quarter of an inch. Here, too, were 

 the stumps of the trees cut up for firewood and pegs. Here 

 a chopping-block, and there a few unused pegs — all Belar. 

 This species of Casuarina is noted for its resistance to decay 

 in the ground. Where not in the ground, old pegs, chips, &c., 

 were perfectly sound. And this tree, with the pine (CalHtris), 

 is threatened with extermination. We crossed one flat where 

 the scattered eucalypt bushes about the margin sheltered no 

 undergrowth or grass ; but between them and in the open 

 centre of the depression were acres of Mesembryanthemum 

 cBquilaterale, a dazzling blaze of pink almost concealing the 

 fleshy leaves. This had a peculiar effect on the eyes, to which 

 white objects, such as my horse, a fallen blank page of a pocket 

 book, &c., were of a greenish hue, the reaction producing this 

 illusion being well known in the matter of complementary 



