159 



3. With E. Gunnii Hook. f. 



Mueller could not unhesitatingly make up his mind to acknowledge E. vernicosa, 

 and wrote but little about it. 



He said " E. vernicosa may constitute merely a glacial-grown pigmy form of 

 E. Gunnii " (" Eucalyptographia," under E. coriata). 



The late Mr. Luehmann (Mueller's assistant) told me that Mueller had the 

 species drawn, but finally decided not to publish it as he considered it a variety of 

 E. Gunnii. See some additional remarks under E. MueUeri. He, however, inserted 

 it in both his First and Second Censuses of Australian Plants. 



I wrote in 1905 : — 



" Mueller held the view, -which he expressed to me verbally, that E. vernicosa is an extreme form 

 of E. Gunnii, Hook. f. At the same time it is such an extreme form that I think it seems desirable to 

 retain it as a species. E. Mudleri T. B. Moore, appears to be a connecting link between E. vernicosa and 

 E. Gunnii." (Proc. Linn. Soc. X.S.W. xxx, 510.) 



Mueller held the view that other forms, which are now looked upon as distinct, 

 were also to be included in E. Gunnii, but there is no doubt that in considering the 

 position of E. vernicosa he had in mind typical E. Gunnii, such as is figured in 

 Part XXVII, Plate 108. The anthers of the two species are very similar, and there are 

 some resemblances in the juvenile leaves, in the shape of the cruciform buds, and to 

 a less extent in the fruits. In the larger growing plants of E. vernicosa the leaves are 

 not very dissimilar to those of the broader-leaved forms of E. Gunnii, and the more 

 the two species are studied, the more it will be found that the affinity is a real one. 



It seems difficult, at first sight, to understand why Mueller should have ever 

 doubted that E. vernicosa is worthy of specific rank ; but we must bear in mind that 

 recognising a specific name is a matter of opinion, and the amount of evidence that a 

 man may require for the recognition of a species is dependent on psychological factors, 

 and therefore may vary at different times. I know nothing more difficult sometimes 

 than the apportionment of this evidence. During the writing of the present work I 

 have arrived at conclusions which may modify the views I have published earlier in 

 the same work as to the limitations of species, and indeed my opinions may again 

 change in the direction of leaving things as they were. 



4. With E. MueUeri T. B. Moore. 



This is probably the geminate species of E. vernicosa, or perhaps a form of it, 

 and some remarks will be offered when E. MueUeri is reached. See p. 1G0. 



