320 MANNA TREES. 



manna was secreted from the leaves of the tree, 

 but from the foliage having a strong campho- 

 rated taste and odour, which the manna has not in 

 the slightest degree, it was not probable ; others 

 again supposed it to proceed from the nectaries of 

 the flowers, which are white, growing in clusters, 

 and give to the tree a beautiful appearance when 

 in bloom, attracting multitudes of parroquets. 

 This tree, similar to the other Eucalypti, secretes 

 a red gum, both spontaneously and in larger 

 quantities, on incisions being made on the trunk. 

 Birds and several insects feed upon the manna ; 

 among others the " Galang, galang," as they 

 are named in the language of the country, the 

 " locust" of the colonists, of which insects, as 

 I have before said, the aborigines declare it to 

 be the excrement. 



The tree is called in the aboriginal language 

 " Bartoman," and the manna is named " Cu 

 ningaban;" it is collected and eaten by the 

 natives. The growth of the tree, when young, 

 is graceful and elegant ; the bark is covered 

 with a whitish powder, which readily rubs off 

 upon the fingers, and the bark underneath is 

 of a greyish colour ; the bark of the ' ' white 

 gum " (^Eucalyptus species) resembles this 

 tree, but may be distinguished by not hav- 

 ing a black butt like the manna-tree. On 



