88 AUSTRALIAN BOTANY. 



trees previously mentioned, where it exists in dense 

 scrubs, covering enormous tracts of country, almost im- 

 penetrable except by the aid of the bushman's brush-hook. 

 The messmate is principally found in large quantities in 

 eastern Victoria, in company with the stringy-bark (hence 

 its common name) ; but it is also scattered over various 

 districts in western Victoria. The sheoaks are most common 

 in the latter, near the coast-line, but are also found in other 

 localities. The ironbarks are found in patches in certain 

 parts of the colony, especially in elevated situations, near 

 auriferous districts. The wattles and the native honey- 

 suckle are found both in high and in low regions, being 

 well distributed ; the latter is numerously represented near 

 Portland. The lightwood and Murray pine are more locally 

 confined, but sometimes occupy large areas of country. 

 Two other species of Eucalyptus, not previously men- 

 tioned, — Eucalyptus Stuartiana, the apple tree, and Euca- 

 lyptus viminaltSj the manna gum, — are also very plentiful on 

 light, moist, sandy soils, usually near the coast. The latter 

 species, often locally known as the peppermint, frequently 

 forms an intermediate link, as it were, between the soil on 

 which the gums — red and white — are found, and the scrub- 

 land. A good illustration of this may be seen by striking 

 across from Dandenong, Cranbourne, or Berwick, towards 

 the coast, in the direction of Western Port, Frankston, or 

 Schnapper Point. The Tasmanian blue-gum (Eucalyptus 

 globulus) is plentiful in the Otway and Bass ranges, where 

 it attains great perfection ; it is found also, in a stunted 

 form, in the Western Port district. 



In Tasmania much magnificent scenery occurs ; but there 

 is, perhaps, no vegetation in Australia to surpass in rich- 



