86 MORE REMARKS ON FLORA AND FAUNA 



The giant-moth is a gum-tree haunting species ; and 

 where gum-trees are not plentiful there are no moths. 

 The blue gum seems to be its favourite tree ; but it also 

 breeds in the red gum and others. Of course, the branch 

 attacked by the larva is killed ; but I have found no 

 evidence that these moths cause a serious destruction of 

 timber, like that occasioned by the ravages of some 

 European species ; indeed it is but seldom that I have 

 obtained two specimens of the larva from the same tree, 

 and the moth, as I have already stated, is not gregarious. 



The giant-moth is not the only giant native of the 

 regions I have been writing about. In Victoria, some 

 fifty miles north of Melbourne, and near the township 

 of Fernshaw, are " the world's big-trees," which completely 

 eclipse the Californian Wellingtonias. It is strange that 

 these trees should have existed undiscovered for so long 

 so near one of the New Continent's great capitals — stranger 

 still that they have attracted so little notice that the 

 American pretenders are still, popularly at least, permitted 

 to enjoy a title they can no longer justly claim. Three 

 hundred and seventy-six feet cuts a poor figure before five 

 hundred and twenty-two ! these being the reported heights 

 of the tallest Wellingtonia and giant gum respectively. I 

 think that the latter figure can be proved as the height of 

 one at least of our big gums. I have measured one huge 

 trunk as it lay on the ground, and found it to be four 

 hundred and fifty-one feet, and there was still several feet 

 of this mighty fallen one standing over its root. 



These huge gums are a wonderful sight and should be 

 seen by every visitor to the country. And why should 

 they not be ? People cross a great continent to view the 

 Californian pines — the Victorian gums are within five or 

 six hours journey of the Melbourne hotels ! Yet, strangely 

 enough, the Fernshaw gums attract no great regard^ in 

 their own country. The gum is regarded, like the 

 kangaroo, the 'possum, and the rabbit, as a nuisance ; and 

 these big trees are rapidly being exterminated. The land 

 they grow on is good land, with twenty or more feet of 

 vegetable soil in many spots, and it is wanted : and so 



