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trees is strikingly apparent in their wand-like trunks and 

 branches and leafy crowns, looking like mallee, bending to the 

 north-west, in which direction they are forced by the strong 

 winds from the south-east which prevail at ' their chief period 

 of growth. 



One characteristic feature of much of the vegetation of this 

 western part of the coast tract is its heath-like habit, as seen 

 in Melaleuca, Eremophila densifolia, P.M., bar., transporting one 

 mentally to the Scotch moors or those of North England. 



At about halfway between Eucla and the head of the Bight 

 sand begins to appear, and with it a change in the vegetation, 

 grass increases in quantity, the broom-like Eremophila appears, 

 and most of the heathy plants become sparse or disappear. 

 This change is very gradual, but becomes the greater as the 

 extent covered by the sand drifts is widened. 



To the north of the oasis there is a treeless region, called on 

 the maps the Nullarbor Plain. It is, however, structurally a 

 part of the Bunda Plateau, and there is no abrupt line of 

 demarcation between it and the oasis. My notes having 

 reference to the aspect of the vegetation on the N.W. journey 

 from Mallabie are as follows : — 



At 6 miles. — Grassy with few sandalwood trees and low 

 bushes ; signs of drought, as does a good deal of the 

 country already passed over. 

 At 9 miles. — Much broom-like Eremophila (E. scoparia), 

 stunted fusanus (F. acuminatus) , Clwretrum glomeratwn, 

 Olearia conocephala (bluebush), and a few sandalwood 

 trees. 

 At 16 miles. — Treeless, much broom, little bluebush. 

 Beyond 21 miles. — Broom low and scanty ; saltbush and 

 prickly Sccevola abundant but mostly dead, patches of 

 shrubby samphire (Salicornia arbuscula) around bare 

 subsaline surfaces of red loam in the slight depressions 

 of the ground. Tufts of dead grass occasionally. 

 The contrast of colour presented by the vegetation on this 

 arid interior is very striking, and is best exhibited in the N.E. 

 part of it. On the slightly rising ground a blue tint prevails 

 from the massing together of the blue bushes of two species, 

 Kochia sedifolia, Olearia conocephala, and over the depressions of 

 the surface the colour is dark from the black-green or almost 

 black of the samphire, whilst intervening between the two 

 colours is a gray belt produced by the salt bush (Atriplex sp.) 



The interior has a few peculiar plants, but is characterised by 

 paucity of species and their depauperised state. On the 22nd 

 February, the total number of plants observed throughout the 

 day's journey of 21 miles, was only fifteen, including bluebush, 

 cotton bush, saltbush, samphire, Sdlsola Kali, Zyc/ophyllum sp., 



