EUCAL YPTUS. 



83 



lyptus leucoxylon are larger than those of Eucalyptus sid- 

 eroxylon but resemble them here more than our sideroxylon 

 fruits resemble those at Mr. Cooper's. There is no possi- 

 bility of confusing these species when once seen growing. 

 The one is a spreading white barked tree with comparatively 

 scanty foliage, very persistent fruits in great quantities, and 

 withal rather pleasing while the other has a rough rusty 

 or dark colored bark with dense foliage, and grows in an 

 erect concentrated form, and is always attractive and some- 

 times beautiful. 



EUCALYPTUS MICROTHECA 



Is reported the most suited of the whole genus of tree size 

 to torrid desert conditions. Mr. K. H. Bennett reports it as 

 reaching a height of eighty feet, and a diameter of four feet. 

 Von Mueller gives more of the native names of this tree 

 than of any other, viz.: " Tangoon " in Riverina, " Callaille " 

 on the Murchison River, also " Yathoo " and in Queens- 

 land " Coolybah." 



It is a very important tree to the natives, for it is mainly 

 from the roots of this Eucalyptus that they obtain water 

 when all other sources fail. The method of obtaining water 

 is reported by Von Mueller as follows: 



''The lateral roots are lifted by the natives with sharp 

 pointed sticks or thin spears to the surface from about a foot 

 or less in depth and to a distance of fifteen or more feet 

 from the tree, the overlying earth w r hen necessary being re- 

 moved by wooden shovels The root is then cut into pieces 

 of about 1 8 inches in length then the bark is peeled off; if 

 the water, on' placing these fragments vertically, does not 

 at once commence to ooze out spontaneously, the process is 



