194 



NATURE 



\yan. 2, 1890 



the fauna, but also of its derivation from some pre-existing 

 fauna in those islands. Much other zoological matter is 

 to be found in this volume, though only a portion of the 

 collections are here described. We are informed, how- 

 ever, that a great deal of systematic work still remains for 

 the naturalist in the Bermudas, and Dr. Uhler, in respect 

 of the insects, avers that much arduous collecting, 

 particularly of the less conspicuous kinds, is still needed. 



I do not know whether any argument for the consider- 

 able antiquity of the Bermudas from the character of the 

 fauna has been advanced before. At all events, Prof 

 Heilprin's valuable suggestion opens up a line of inquiry 

 in the case of coral islands generally, which might be 

 pursued with profit. From investigations of the coral 

 phenomena alone, I arrived at the conclusion that Keel- 

 ing Atoll has a life-history of from 1 5,000 to 20,000 years, 

 and that it is now in the last quarter of its existence. If 

 this coral island is a type, then atolls must possess a high 

 antiquity ; and, taking our cue from Prof. Heilprin, we 

 may ask whether, in the fauna and flora of a typical 

 Pacific or Indian Ocean atoll, there is anything to suggest 

 that they are derived from a pre-existing order of things. 

 Confining ourselves to the flora, we find that oceanic 

 atolls are mostly characterized by Hemsley as possessing 

 no endemic element amongst their plants. Yet some of 

 these large atolls must have once engirt, according to the 

 theory of subsidence, a mountainous island possessing 

 an upland flora, and, as in the case of the Fijis, not a 

 few peculiar species. The islands formed on the encir- 

 cling reef, just like the coral islands that often front the 

 shore of a mountainous island in the Western Pacific, 

 would possess, in addition to the common littoral plants, 

 a number of plants derived from the slopes of the ad- 

 jacent island. How comes it, then, that, if these large 

 groups of oceanic atolls mark the disappearance of moun- 

 tain-ranges, we find no sign of the vanished upland flora 

 amongst the common littoral plants that are now brought 

 by currents, winds, and sea-bird 5 to every atoll ? The 

 Island of Tahiti could hardly disappear beneath the 

 ocean without leaving a Tahitian impress on the flora 

 of the surviving atoll. A similar reflection often occurred 

 to me whilst on the Keeling Islands. 



In conclusion, I would remark that partisanship in 

 matters of scientific dispute cannot affect the value of 

 this work by an American naturalist on one of the oldest 

 of British possessions. The book is illustrated with 

 several beautiful phototypes of general views in the 

 islands, as well as of the feolian formations and of the 

 coast scenery ; and seventeen lithographic plates accom- 

 pany the zoological descriptions. H. B. Guppy, 



THE USEFUL PLANTS OF AUSTRALIA. 

 The Useful Plants of A ustralia {including Tasinania). 

 By J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., F.C.S., &c. (London: 

 Triibner and Co. Sydney : Turner and Henderson. 

 1889.) 



ALTHOUGH designed in the first instance as a 

 hand-book to the specimens in the Technological 

 Museum at Sydney, this work in its present form is really 

 a concise text-book treating of " all Australian plants 

 which, up to the present, are known to be of economic 

 value, or injurious to man and domestic animals." 



The literature of Australian economic botany may be 

 said to date from the Great Exhibition of 1851. Owing, 

 however, to the unsettled nomenclature of Australian 

 plants previous to the publication of the great " Flora 

 Australiensis," by Bentham and Mueller, the properties of 

 the same plant were often found described under numerous 

 botanical names. The publication of the " Flora," and 

 the subsequent issue of Baron Mueller's " Census of Aus- 

 tralian Plants" (with annual supplements), have now 

 rendered species names easily accessible to workers in 

 all parts of Australia, and the ground is well prepared 

 for such a publication as that which lies before us. It is 

 a bulky volume of 700 pages, well arranged, well got up, 

 and furnished with an excellent index of botanical names, 

 and also one of vernacular names. As Mr. Maiden 

 reminds us, this is the first attempt made to grapple with 

 the economical botany of Australia. He has wisely 

 followed Baron Mueller in all essential details of classi- 

 fication, and due credit is given throughout the book to 

 this learned and indefatigable worker, now, the greatest 

 living authority on all that relates to Australian vegetable 

 life. The arrangement of subjects has been adopted 

 as that found most convenient in the Museum. This is 

 not, perhaps, the best arrangement for a text-book, as it 

 involves considerable repetition of names and synonyms 

 under each section ; but on that point we are not dis- 

 posed to quarrel with the author. It opens, with human 

 foods, and food adjuncts ; and these are succeeded by 

 forage plants, drugs, gums, resins and kinos, oils, per- 

 fumes, dyes, tans, timbers, fibres, and it closes with plants 

 having miscellaneous uses not previously enumerated. 

 A glance at the book shows very clearly, that if we except 

 timbers, a description of which occupies about one half 

 the contents, the economic products of Australia are not 

 of extraordinary importance. It is noticeable that the 

 northern parts, where the flora is reinforced by represen- 

 tatives from the Malayan Archipelago and Southern Asia,, 

 yield most of the plants possessing medicinal properties. 

 The genus Eucalyptus, comprising more than 130 species^ 

 yields excellent timber, kinos, and essential oils, and prob- 

 ably the chief economic products of Australia derived from 

 native plants. Mr. Maiden has brought together practi- 

 cally all that is known about the industrial application of 

 '* gum "-trees, but we cannot now attempt to follow him. 



Eucalyptus Gunnii (a large plant of which grows in 

 the open air at Kew) yields a sweetish sap converted by 

 settlers into an excellent cider. This, and manna, 

 from E. viminalis and E. dutnosa are probably the 

 only food products derived from Eucalyptus trees. 

 In the production of Eucalyptus oil (from E. amygdalin 

 and E. globulus), Australia, it appears, has powerful 

 competitors in Algeria and California, where gum-trees 

 have been largely planted during the last twenty years. 

 In the latter country, a large quantity is available as a 

 by-product in the manufacture of anti-calcaire prepara- 

 tions for boilers. 



The widely-spread Acacias of Australia, locally known 

 as wattles, are hardly less useful than the gum-trees. Owing 

 to the immense number destroyed for the sake of the 

 bark used in tanning, the wattles in some districts are 

 said to be threatened with extinction. Some whose leaves 

 are eaten by stock are also becoming scarce. To coun- 

 teract these influences, systematic attempts have been 



