182 



Two months later Phillip wrote : 



The barracks aiicT all buildings in futuri- «'11I be covered -with shingles, which 

 we now make from a tree like the pine-tree In appearance, the wood resembling 

 the English Oak. (Barton's Histonj of N.HAY., i, 301.) 



This is the earliest record of " She Oak " for shingles, a use to which it 

 is extensively put up to the present day. 



^-1 Plea for the Cultivation of She OaJcs. ' 



I would draw attention to the merits of this tree as a substitute for the 

 everlasting Pinus ifiisignis of California, which seems to be grown im- 

 moderately in New South Wales. C. suherosa grows in the poorest soil, 

 provided it he stony and well drained. It has a pine-like habit, and is even 

 more graceful than most pines, does not attain a very large size, and forms a 

 copse or an avenue which has a very pleasing appearance. 



1 go further, and sa.y that if Australians would only take it into their 

 heads to grow their She Oaks (and wo have species for salt-water, fresh- 

 water, for arid situations, and sterile places) they would be eliarmed at the 

 result. A well-grown She Oak is one of the most beautiful trees in Aus- 

 tralia, and affords a pleasing contrast to the trees mostly grown, and in 

 most cases suits our climatic conditions far better than the imported pine=. 

 The seed is very cheap (anyone can gather a few cones, place them on a 

 sheet of newspaper and let them shed their seeds), the seed readily germi- 

 aiates, the trees are remarkably free from disease, grow rapidly, and their 

 timber, apart from other uses, forms the best fuel we have. 



Casuarina lepidophloia, E.v.M 



The Belah. 



) Botanical Name. — Casuarina, owing to the resemblance of the branch- 

 lets to the feathers of the Cassowary (Casuarius) ; lepidophloia, Greek lepix. 

 lepidos (= Latin squama) a scale; phloios, the inner bark or smooth bark of 

 a tree, hence scaly-bark. 



Vernacular Names. — This\ti;ee is rarely called by any name other than 

 its aboriginal one (Belah). In some districts, e.g. (Grenfell) it is known 

 ■as "Bull Oak,'' but this should be reserved for ('. Luehmanni. 



Following is confirmation of the statement that the " Belah " is also 

 known as '"' Bull Oak " by some people : — 



In pointing out tliat "Belah" and "Bull Oak" are really different trees. 

 Mr. Dalton, nf Wanaarhig, states: "The Belah is always culled about "Wanaar- 

 ing by the name of Belah, and the only tune 1 have heard it called ' Bull Oak'' 

 is by iieoplc coming from inside districts." 



The name " Black Oak" is in use at Mount Lyndhurst, S. A. (M. Koch). 



Aboriginal Names. — " Belah," or '• Belar,'' is the name almost universally 

 in use. At the same time, I am unable to say what tribe in Belah country 

 used it. Mr. Bailey quotes Mr. Watkins as giving " Billa " in use for C 

 filauca by the Stradbroke Island (Brisbane) aborigines. It is therefore 

 possible that " Billa " or " Belah " is an aboriginal name for Casuarinas in 



