m 



Fruit. — This is suifieiently described by tbe plate. The winged seeds are 

 xeiy light, are suddenly released from the follicle, and are blown away by 

 the wind. As the trees arc a considerable height it is not always easy to 

 collect the seed just as it ripens, and hence it is always expensive. 



Is the Sap an Irritant. — In Part XX (vol. ii), p. 183, of my "Forest 

 Plora of New South Wales," I drew attention to Leichhardt's observation 

 of the acrid secretion from the seed-vessels of a Grevillea in the Northern 

 Territory. 



Dr. E. M joberg, the leader of the Swedish Scientific Expedition of 1910-11 

 to north-west Australia, informed me that the sap of two species of 

 Grevillea is used by the natives to scarify their bodies, forming the scars 

 Ihey deem to be ornamental. 



Following is an extract from a letter from Mr. Fellows, Curator of the 

 Public Gardens, Albury, N.S.W. :— 



I have a man working here, who, whenever he has to work much in the 

 trees of (IrcvlUcii rohiiHtii. gets inflammation of the eyelids; have you met with 

 .•I similar case, or can you account for it in any way? No other tree causes 

 liim this inconvenience. I lia^e asked our doctors about it, but none can 

 account for it. By working in the trees' I mean iu the top of the tree, lopping 

 or thinnins out branches of the older trees. The sap is the trouble. We have 

 some of these trees in the streets' in this town; the trees made good growtti 

 liere. 



I have not heard oi Orevillea rohusta in this connection before. It is far 

 better known as a planted tree (both in Australia and out of it) than in its 

 native forests, and I would ask correspondents whether they have heard of 

 its acridity. 



I would invite attention to what I have said in regard to Irritant Woods 

 in Part xlix, p. 174, of my " Forest Flora of New South Wales." 



Timber. — Its chief characteristic is its fissility. It is light in colour, and 

 has a handsome oak-like figure. 



Although distinctly a prettty wood, yet on account of its lightness of 

 rolour it has not the same rich appearance as.manj- proteaceous 'timbers. It 

 is moderately hard, and works well. 



We have much to learn in regard to the behaviour of our commonest trees, 

 and bushmen should not be too diffident in reporting peculiarities of our 

 trees and timbers. 



Perhaps the New South Wales, timber which has been spoken of more than 

 iiny other for wine casks is the silky oak. Mr. Thomas Hardy, of South 

 Australia, placed shavings fif this wood in light wines for two months with- 

 out affecting the taste and colour of the latter. He pronounces the wood 

 i-uitable in other respects, and therefore suitable for cashing wine, and the 

 opinion of an authority so eminent must carr.y great weight. Silky oak 

 would not leak when split on the quarter, and Mr. Hardy has been institut- 

 ing inquiry as to ^^■hether the staves would leak when the wood was cut 

 across the grain. Silky oak appears too porous to hold such liquids as 

 spirits. 



Formerly it \\as used to a large extent on the northern rivers of our own 

 State, and still in Northern Queensland, for tallow casks. It has also been 

 Sargcly used for butter-kegs. It does not appear to be affected by long 

 immersion in brine, nor does butter placed in contact with it for any reason- 



