309 



George Caley," and presented to the Linnean Society, Trans. Linn. Soc xvii, 597 (1832) 

 have disappeared, and, probably, losing their labels, have long since been destroyed). 

 Even a manuscript list of Caley's (if it exists), describing the barks of New South Wales 

 trees, would be worthy of perusal, for year by year, we can interpret such notes better. 



Dr. A. E. Kendle, Keeper of Botany, British Museum, has kindly given me 

 original labels with some of Caley's specimens, and I have given notes on them, e.g., 

 E. eximia, Part XLII, p. 30. 



The first reference I can find to the use of the term " Gum Tree " is " The 

 Bed Gum-Tree (Eucalyptus resinifera) " in White's " Voyage," p. 231 (1790). It 

 had evidently got into use, for we have " The Red Gum-tree " in G. Barrington's " History 

 of New South Wales," p. 461 (1802). The term arose without reference to the bark, 

 but to the Kino or " gum " which exuded from the tree. 



As early as " Gum " we have the name " The Peppermint tree (Eucalyptus 

 piperita)" in White's " Voyage," p. 228 (1790). This also did not refer to the bark, but 

 to the leaves, which were early distilled for medicinal purposes for local use. See 

 p. 328, Park LXVII of my " Forest Flora and New South Wales." 



The words " White Gum " will be found in Barracks's MS. Journal of 1798, 

 annotated and explained by R. H. Cambage in Proc Roy. Aust. Hist. Soc, vi, 33. The 

 explorer was then somewhere near Bundanoon. The first use of the term " White 

 Gum " I can trace in print is in Trans. Linn. Soc, xv, 192, 278, 285 (1827), as the abode 

 of certain birds. I invite the attention of correspondents to these early vernacular 

 names. The timber of " Gum," &c, was spoken of by James Flemming, " Journal 

 of Explorations, Port Phillip," p. 25 (1802). It was apparently a common thing to 

 speak of gum-timber by that time. 



Early uses of the term " Blue Gum " are as follow : — ■ 



" Blue Gum," Collins' "Account of New South Wales," ii, 235 (1802). "Blue 

 Gum Trees," Oxley's "Expedition" (1820). 



Whether the first Blue Gum tree was named because the leaves were of a bluish 

 cast (glaucous), or the young stems or branches, or both, cannot be stated with reference 

 to a particular species. It may, or may not be, that E. saligna, the " Sydney Blue 

 Gum," was the first species to be called " Blue Gum." Although E. globulus, the 

 Tasmanian and Victorian Blue Gum, has a bluer cast, the name, as applied to it, did 

 not get into literature till later than 1802. 



The name " Stringybark," which even more than Ironbark is in common use 

 throughout eastern and South Australia, does not appear to have early got into books. 

 We have it in P. Cunningham, op. Git., i, 187 (1827). But Mr. R. H. Cambage, op. cit. 

 pp. 9 and 33, shows that it occurs in Barracks's MS. Journal in the Year 1798 in the 

 Mittagong and Moss Vale (New South Wales) districts. In page 33 it is a " short 

 Stringy Bark" and therefore perhaps a Peppermint that is spoken of. Later on, one 

 finds it noted as " The String Bark tree " in J. 0. Balfour's " Sketch of New South 

 Wales," 37 (1845), and " Vessels formed of Stringybark " are referred to in Westgarth's 

 "Australia Felix," p. 73 (1848). 



