EUCALYPTUS TREES. 188 



No part of Australia has the marked peculiarities 

 of its vegetation so strongly expressed, and no part 

 of this great country produces so rich an assemblage 

 of species within a limited area as the remotest 

 south-western portion of the continent. Indeed, the 

 southern extremity of Africa is the only part of the 

 globe in which an equally varied display of vegetable 

 forms is found within equally narrow precincts, and 

 endowed also with an equal richness of endemic gen- 

 era. It is heyond the scope of this brief treatise to 

 enter fully into a detailed exposition of the constitu- 

 ents of the south-western flora. It may mainly suffice 

 to view such of the vegetable products as are drawn 

 already into industrial use, or are likely to be of avail 

 for the purpose. Foremost in this respect stands, 

 perhaps, the Mahogany-Eucalypt (Eucalyptus margi- 

 nata). The timber of this tree exhibits the won- 

 derful quality of being absolutely impervious to the 

 inroads of the limnoria, the teredo, and chelura — those 

 minute marine creatures so destructive to wharves, 

 jetties, and any work of naval architecture exposed 

 to the water of the sea ; it equally resists the attacks 

 of termites. In these properties the Red Gum-tree 

 of our own country largely shares. The Mahogany- 

 Eucalypt has, in the Botanic Gardens of this city, 

 been brought for the first time largely under cultiva- 

 tion, and as, clearly, the natural supply of this import 

 tant timber will, sooner or later, proye iqadequate to 

 the demanded requirenjents, it oust be regarded as 

 It, wise measure of the ggyen^ments of France ana 

 Itg,ly now to establish this tree on the Mediterranean 

 ishores^:;a fl(}ea§i;re for whiclj ^tjU greater facilitieR 

 ^ro ^,ere fgc^^lly fifferp(|. 



