XXIII.] OTHER AUSTRALIAN TIMBERS. 255 



timber in West Australia^ chiefly to China, but it is 

 becoming scarce. F. acuminatus is also a valuable 

 cabinet wood, and is interesting as being one of the 

 hard woods used by Australian aborigines to obtain 

 fire by friction. 



Gmelina Leichhardtii, the White Beech, is allied to 

 Teak, and is a useful, strong, easily-worked timber, 

 prized for decks and floorings. 



Grevillea robusta, called Silky Oak, but in no way 

 allied either to the true Oaks or the Australian " Oaks," 

 is one of the Proteacae, now becoming scarcer owing 

 to its extensive employment for the staves of tallow- 

 casks, &c. It is also much used for interior work in 

 houses. G. striata is the Beef-wood, so called from the 

 resemblance of the worked timber to raw beef, much 

 valued for cabinet work. 



Hedycarya angustifoUa, the native " Mulberry," is not 

 a mulberry at all. The wood is a cabinet wood, and 

 preferred by the natives for obtaining fire by friction. 



Heritiera littoralis is the Sundi of India, and called 

 Red Mangrove in Queensland. 



Melaleuca leucadendron, the White Tea Tree, is an 

 extremely pretty wood, with ripple markings, and 

 extremely durable in the ground. M. ericifolia, the 

 Swamp Tree Tree, and M. styphelioides, the Prickly 

 Tea Tree, are also durable. These Tea Trees have nothing 

 to do with Tea ; they are Myrtles. 



Melia Azedarach, the Persian Lilac, or Bastard Cedar 

 of India, is known in Australia as the White Cedar. 



NoteUsa ligustrina, the Iron-wood of Tasmania, is so 

 hard as to rival Lignum Vitae, and is used for blocks, 

 &c., in the same way. 



Olearia argophylla, Musk-wood, is a common, 

 fragrant, and beautifully mottled turnery wood. 



