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Northern Territory. — We leave Queensland for the present, and turn to the 

 Northern Territory, studying the paper, " The Physiography of Northern Australia," 

 I, by Dr. H. I. Jensen, Queensland Agric. Journ., September, 1922, p. 140. 



He gives his own observations on Soils and Physiography in Queensland, and 

 supplements information made by Messrs. Gray and Winters and himself in the Northern 

 Territory, beginning with a short bibliography of Territory physiography. He goes 

 on to say (p. 141) that climatically and in vegetation, the Territory can be divided into 

 three zones : — 



A. Coastal Plain. — Sedimentary rocks and metamorphics alike on this zone capped with laterite, 

 which is disintegrating owing to increasing moisture of climate. Country lightly timbered with E. grandi- 

 folia, E. papuana, E. miniata, E. tetrodonta and non-Eucalypts. 



B. Hill country, usually from 100 to 200 miles from the coast, but hugging the coast closer in the 

 north-west and west. The metamorphic rocks and granites are dissected into rough hills, on many of which 

 occur cappings (mesas) of table sandstone. These mesas are often capped with laterite, which was once 

 co-extensive with the coastal laterites. The vegetation consists of stunted forest, of which E. alba is a 

 prominent member. We also have E. Foelscheana, E. Spenceriana, E. latifolia, E. grandifolia, E. phcenicea, 

 E. tetrodonta, E. miniata, E. setosa, E. clavigera. E. dichromophloia, E. Houseana, E. microtheca, E. ptychocarpa 

 and E. melanophloia. This belt is, however, typically the Poplar Gum (E. alba) belt, since on all alluvial 

 flats E. alba is dominant. Stringybark (E. tetrodonta) is typical principally of the most sandy, poor 

 soils. 



C. Inland Areas. — These areas are roughly divisible into : — 



(a) Plains, with rich, black soils of limestone derivation, covered with Mitchell (Astrebla) and other 



grasses. No forest trees are seen at all over large areas. There are patches of E. pruinosa. 



(b) Desert Country. — This is the local name for wooded poor country, such as occurs on sandstone, 



metamorphic, and granite areas. The Eucalypts met with are solely of the desert type : — 

 E. aspera, E. eudesmioides, E. pyriformis, E. oleosa (?), E. gamophylla, E. salmonophloia, E. macro- 

 car pa, E. peltata, E. tetragona, E. salubris, E. odontocarpa, E. ptychocarpa, " and so on." Setose 

 leaves characterise many of the Eucalypts. 



A few of the above species should be checked, as regards Queensland and the 

 Northern Territory. 



EFFECT OF DROUGHT CONDITIONS. 



Mr. W. A. W. de Beuzeville, District Forester in charge of the Tumut Forest 



District, New South Wales, reported in July, 1923 :• — 



' You are aware the summer of 1922-23 was remarkable for the long spell with little rain (six months, 

 November to April, a little more than 2 inches). About April several species began to show signs of distress, 

 and before the rain came in May, large patches of timber had died out. Nearly always situated on well- 

 drained hillsides, these killed areas stood out as though fire-killed. Some areas of 40 to 50 acres in extent. 



The most generally killed species is E. macrorrhyncha, growing on both slate and granite formations. 

 E. elwophora on slate and granite came next. E. hemiphloia on volcanic soils suffered to a considerable 

 extent, though the fatalities occurred mainly in well-grown coppice. I have also been reliably informed 

 that areas of E. coriacea at the Four Mile, Kiandra, on basalt formation, succumbed also. Another species 

 noted as affected, though not to any great extent, was E. camphora. The parishes chiefly affected were 

 Talbingo, Tumut, Adelong, Goldspink, Courabyra, and Tumbarumba, in the counties of Buccleuch, 

 Selwyn, and Wynyard." 



