The caution of the immortal Hooker, as stated in his " Flora of Tasmania," 

 p. 132 (vol. i, Part III. 1860) has never been long absent from my thoughts— 



" To study the ' Gum-trees ' well it is further uecessary to study the other plants of the Colony, for 

 the results of an observer's experience in such a genus will be entitled to more or less weight very much 

 according to the amount of knowledge he possesses of the limits of variation, etc., in other plants; in 

 short, it requires an experienced and very cautious observer to monograph the Australian Gum-trees, for 

 "*t is no doubt one of the most difficult tasks in all systematic botany, and at the same time one of the 

 most important in an economic as well as a scientific point of view." 



Examination of Organs and General Appearance in the Bush. 



Some of them promptly fade, or are readily deciduous. (The leaves, flowers, 

 fruits of some species become discoloured and detached, although this does not 

 specially apply to Eucalyptus.) Some organs, e.g., bracts and bracteoles and outer 

 operculaare usually only seen on the early umbel or operculum; they are deciduous 

 and prone to shrivel. The most certain way to see them is on a visit to the tree. The 

 colours of filaments soon fade, even amongst those classed as " white," which often 

 should be recorded as cream-coloured, or even pale-yellow. The anthers should, if 

 possible, be studied from the fresh flowers. The shape of the bud, of the fruit, is best 

 noted on the living plant, as the herbarium specimen always shows shrinkage, and 

 sometimes diflerent shapes. I have already (Part LVI, p. 331) drawn attention to the 

 fact that the colours of young leaves, which fade almost as soon as gathered, can only 

 be satisfactorily examined in the bush. 



A proper knowledge of the foliage of seedlings, of shoots, and of their 

 correlation, shapes and general morphological characters, can be studied adequately 

 only in the bush, and by many consecutive visits to the bush. In the days to come 

 the refinements of the cinematograph will be applied, with the view to securing a 

 permanent record of the growth changes of foliage and other organs. 



Then, obviously, the best place to describe the general appearance of a tree 

 is standing near it, a photograph being an inferior substitute. The appearance of the 

 bark should be described while standing in front of the tree, especially as there are 

 so many textures and colours. An axe-cut of the bark is valuable, but it should be 

 borne in mind that the rough bark varies in the height to which it ascends up the 

 trunk and branches, and this height of rough bark, the appearance of the smooth bark, 

 and the diameter of the tree are all necessary data best recorded in the forest. An 

 axe-cut of the timber may be taken at the same time, and the appearance of the fresh 

 (and subsequently well seasoned) wood noted. The botanist never does any barm to 

 the forest, and it is remarkable with what little sacrifice of plant-life he secures 

 valuable data. 



The Aesthetic Aspect of the Genus. 

 When the vastness of the genus and the infinite variety of the species is better 

 understood by the average botanist, and he communicates his knowledge, obtained 

 in the field, to the literary man, I am confident that the beauty and interest of 



