THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 77 



from observations extending from the time of its discovery, in 

 1820, to the present day), the lake has been covered to a 

 greater or less extent with trees. As the water rose again, they 

 were killed ; and such has been the case with the eucalypts 

 lining the banks of our rivers, or growing in low lands adjacent 

 to them. A remarkable instance of the kind occurred some 

 years since at Menangle, on the Cowpasture River, where, after 

 long continued rains, all the eucalypts died over an extensive 

 area ; and, in some of the large floods of the Hawkesbury, 

 instances have occurred in which from 50 to 100 acres of land, 

 with the trees on it, have been carried away by the violence of 

 the torrent. 



Trees are not unfrequently struck by lightning and killed, and 

 I have known cases in which hailstorms have passed over the 

 mountains, and in their course have stripped the trees of their 

 leaves for a considerable distance. For a time the forest had 

 the appearance of bare poles, but in a season or two it regained 

 its accustomed verdure. 



Droughts and bush fires are sometimes very fatal to eucalypts, 

 but probably not so much so as floods, for many species of them 

 can stand a vast amount of heat, or even if scorched by the 

 fire they display wonderful recuperative energy. In the great 

 drought of 1798, early writers record that the bush from Sydney 

 to Parramatta was completely on fire, the trees being burned to 

 their tops ; and Captain Sturt (in 1829) tells us that in the 

 western interior the largest forest trees were drooping, and many 

 dead. Great havoc occurred also during the drought of 1851 

 (remembered in Victoria as " Black Thursday"), and again in 

 1870 and 1875 ; whilst in 1888, which, according to Mr. Russell, 

 was the driest year on record for fifteen years, the bush suffered 

 in many parts from similar causes. Notwithstanding the devasta- 

 tion committed in dry seasons, some of the eucalypts have 

 astonishing powers of endurance. Amongst these, Mr. J. E. 

 Brown, F.L.S., conservator of our forests, instances the Sugar 

 Gum (E. corynocalyx, F. v. M.) as possessing uncommon vitality, 

 even in the driest seasons, when other trees die. He has recom- 

 mended it therefore for cultivation in the arid parts of the west. 

 It is really marvellous that there should be any vegetation at all 

 in some parts of Australia, when the heat is so intense. Sturt 

 reported that on two occasions the heat exceeded 130° in the 

 shade, and approached 160° in the sun; whilst water evaporated 

 in the creeks at the rate of an inch per day. Again, only last 

 year, Mr. W. H. Tietkens stated, in his journal, published by 

 the Government of South Australia, that during his exploring 

 expedition into Central Australia, especially from the Finke to 

 the Bond Springs, " the weather was extremely hot, the ther- 

 mometer for several days recorded 172° in the sun, and upon 



