THE EUCALYPTS OF GIPPSLAND. 105 



Somewhat similar seems to be the effect produced by the coast ranges upon the 

 sub-alpine plateau of Omeo and the Dargo basin. 



At the sources of Cobbanah Creek, and at the Budgee Budgee Mount, similar 

 observations can be made. 



E. piperita and E. obliqua ascend the sources of Granite Creek to the saddle 

 separating it from Bulgaback Creek at 500ft. 



They then cease, and on the dry north side are replaced by E. macrorhyncha, 

 which then extends as the sole stringy-bark to about 1200ft. in the mountains leading 

 to Grant. On following these mountains, however, E. obliqua re-appears in the 

 south gullies of Mount Ewing, at an elevation of 4000ft., which is its limit in these 

 mountains. 



In proceeding from Dargo to Omeo, by way of the Wentworth River sources, 

 instructive observations can be made as to the distribution of the different types of 

 Eucalypts. 



In Dargo itself, which is essentially one of the mountain areas, E. viminalis (6) 

 occurs at its lowest limit of 700ft., growing plentifully over the open grassy hills of 

 Plutonic rocks. E. viminalis (a) occurs in the river courses, following them up from 

 the littoral tracts. At the source of Teapot Creek, near Mount Steve, is to be fouud 

 an outlying colony of E. amygdalina (f) the Black-butt, of South Gippsland, together 

 with E. piperita and E. obliqua at an elevation of •2500ft. The summit of the ridge 

 is crested by E. sieberiana (a), and in the creeks falling into the Wentworth Eiver, 

 the Eucalypts are essentially lowland forms, with the examples of E. amygdalinas 

 (a) and (6) which occur locally at Pheasant Creek. These lowland forms, for 

 instance, E. viminalis (a), E. amj'gdalina (a), E. piperita, E. oWiqua, E. melliodora, 

 E. polyanthema, E. stuartiana, follow up the sources of the Wentworth River towards 

 the CTreat Dividing Range. 



On the range along which runs the Wentworth track to Omeo, I observed that 

 E. melliodora ceased at Wild Horse Creek at about 1500ft., E. macrorhyncha at 

 240Ult., E. amygdalina {b), which here grows plentifully at one place, and at an unusual 

 elevation of 2400ft. E. polyanthema gradually decreases in number, diminishes 

 in size, until at 2300ft. it ceases with a few dwarfed trees. At the same place E. 

 stuartiana also ceases abruj)tly on the south side of the ridge, and with a diminution 

 of size. 



At 3000ft. E. piperita disappears at the extreme source of Wild Horse Creek, 

 without any change of size. At the same point E. viminalis (rt) also ceases. It 

 appears that the elevation above the sea level has less to do with the disappearance of 

 these trees than the change of climate from the cool moist gullies on the soiithern 

 slopes to the cold yet drier northern side of mountains. 



