190 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



only about 8 feet of the stump left, the wood being all 

 scattered round, some to 60 yards away, and broken up into 

 matchwood, which shows the terrible force of the stroke. The 

 tree being dead, the centre probably contained a good deal of 

 moisture, which, being suddenly converted into steam, is sup- 

 posed by some to cause the destruction, and that is given as 

 the reason why some trees are affected far more than others. 

 Not far from the remains of the Ti-tree was a White Gum, 

 which had a curious a;nd rare freak of having a small 

 green branch growing out of the trunk about 15 feet from 

 the ground and then growing into the trunk again ; it 

 was about 8 feet long, and shaped Hke a well-drawn bow, 

 and had no branches growing from it. I had only once 

 seen a previous instance in a eucalyptus tree, and that 

 in Queensland. Acacia trees are plentiful, especially one 

 locally called Jam-wood, Acacia acuminata ; it has a dark red 

 coloured wood, which when cut has a strong scent of raspberry 

 jam ; it is very hard and lasts for many years in the ground, and is 

 not attacked by white ants, and consequently is largely used for 

 fencing, &c. When the trees are killed, either by bush fires or 

 ring-barking, the top all closes in towards the centre, forming a 

 bunch, and in this dense thicket of dead wood many birds are 

 fond of building their nests, especially the Yellow-tailed Tit, as 

 their dwellings are well protected from other birds, &c. Frog- 

 mouths are also very partial to resting during the day in the dead 

 wood of these trees, the colour of the bird harmonizing almost 

 completely with that of the bark. Prickly Acacia, Acacia 

 armata, bushes are often met with, and they are again frequently 

 resorted to by the Yellow-tailed Tit wherein to build their homes, 

 as the sharp thorns are an effectual protection against marauding 

 cats or larger birds. 



Quandong Trees, Santalum (sp.), are plentiful in places ; they 

 grow to about 25 feet high, and look very picturesque when 

 laden with their ripe red-coloured berries. The leaf of the tree 

 itself is very small. Sandalwood, Santalum (sp.), is also fairly 

 plentiful, and it extends for a good distance inland ; most of the 

 trees seen are small, many of the larger ones having been cut 

 out, and it is a common sight to see large stacks of the wood 

 with the bark taken off at the various railway stations waiting to 

 be sent to Fremantle, from whence it mostly shipped to China. 

 The seed has a somewhat similar appearance to that of the 

 Quandong, being a spherical nut contained in an outer layer of 

 fruit, and of a yellowish colour when ripe, and the trees often 

 bear a plentiful crop of berries. Mallee Scrub, Eucalyptus in- 

 crassata, is plentiful in places, but generally further inland, where 

 it covers large tracts of country. 



Very few natives are to be seen in the settled districts, and 



