PROCEEDINGS OP SECTION D. 297 



{i.e., red timbers), for Mueller does not give the colours of timbers in his 

 Eucalyptographia, and Ednie Browxi only lists eighteen Western 

 Eucalypts in his Timbers of Vv'estern Australia, and, of these, ten at 

 least are red-coloured. 



The Bloodwoods, at least in E. corymbosa, extend from Cape York, 

 south to the Genoa River, and the Angophoras in the middle distance 

 of the distribution of the Bloodwoods, the portion first raised above 

 sea-level. 



As everything seems to point to the Peppermints, Gums, Stringy- 

 barks (Phellandrene yielding species), being the more modern group, 

 then, from these premises, the trees have come from the north, which 

 must be -the original home or central evolution point. Thus every- 

 thing points to the north as the original home of the Eucalypts anl 

 the locality from which they radiated. 



Bailey (Queensland Flora), in stating the colour of timbers, gives 

 red, 17 ; grey. It ; brown, 6 ; and in 16 no colour is given. 



Again, the Bloodwoods and red timbers are pronounced in Northern 

 Australia, North-west Australia, and Western Australia, whilst Euca- 

 lypts are found in the islands of the Malay Archipelago, but not in 

 South America, fossil or living. 



I think, therefore, that the arboreal evidence is against a land con- 

 nexion through Tasmania to Antarctica, and hence with South 

 America, and this is further supported by the absence of Eucalypts 

 in South America. 



These features of the Victorian species are scientifically interesting, 

 and in addition to the above observations, some agreement may yet 

 be found to exist between the southern flora and geology ; or perhaps 

 these characters are due to the presence of certain alkali or acid rocks, 

 a theory that is now in course of investigation by R. H. Cambage. 

 At any rate, the association of various coloured timbers with geological 

 periods has not, I believe, been previously studied. 



In proportion to its size, the Victorian Eucalyptus Flora possesses 

 other interesting features worthy of further study by eucalyptologists, 

 whilst its economics are of a high order, and so in this special group 

 of trees, Victoria has a valuable commercial asset. 



Bentham, Mueller, and other botanical workers on Victorian 

 Eucalypts, have generally arranged their species on morphological 

 characters alone. In the Census here submitted, a new classification 

 is introduced, viz., one based on a much broader basis than mor- 

 phology alone, being founded on a correlation of features, supported 

 by the cognate sciences, such as — palaeobotany, botany, and chemistry. 



I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to Professor Ewart, 

 Oovernment Botanist of Victoria, who very kindly permitted me to 

 examine the material in the National Herbarium, Melbourne. 



I also received much assistance from Mr. P. R. H. St. John, who has 

 devoted much time to the study of Victorian Eucalypts. 



