82 



fl Selection from tDe Papers read 

 before tlx Societp* 



Eucalyptus and other Australian Plants Acclimatised in and around 



Bournemouth. 



(Delivered as a general Lecture at the Society's Koom, March 18th, 1916). 



Note. — This lecture was a sequel to the Presidential Address on 

 " Hardy British Trees." A full report of a similar lecture 

 del'vered before the Dorset Field Club is published in Volume 

 XXXVII. of the Proceedings of that Club. 



USTRALIA, a vast island continent in the southern hemis- 



phere, is probably the oldest land-surface on the globe. 

 Although the climate is, on the whole, remarkable for its dryness, 

 yet, in the mountainous parts of New South Wales, Victoria and 

 Tasmania the conditions approximate those of our own South 

 Coast. The Australian fauna has marked peculiarities. The pre- 

 sence of a large number of marsupials is an outstanding feature. 

 Of these the largest is the great grey kangaroo, while the platypus 

 or duck-billed water-mole is the most remarkable. Among the 

 birds are found the black swan, the white eagle, the emu and many 

 species of parrots and cockatoos. The Moloch lizard is a singular 

 reptile, while the flying gurnet is a beautifully coloured fish. 



In studying the flora we are fortunate in having several local 

 gardens where Australian trees and shrubs have been cultivated 

 for many years. The widely-known Abbotsbury gardens contain 

 the largest collection of such plants, but a very interesting, 

 though much smaller, garden is that at Old Orchard, Broadstone, 

 established by the late Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, O.M. 



Many Australian plants are to be found at Cuffnells, near 

 Lyndhurst, and in the public and private grounds of Bournemouth 

 itself. The plants which, by cultivation in these gardens and else- 

 where in the neighbourhood, are accessible for our study, include 

 many species of Eucalyptus or gum-trees and of Acacias or wattles. 

 Besides these there are Grevilleas, Banksias and Hakeas, as well 

 as many lesser known trees, shrubs and climbers. The total 

 number of species of Australian plants acclimatised on the South 

 Coast is probably not less than sixty. 



There is a further reason for trie careful study of the 

 Australian flora as represented in this country. It has been 

 asserted by some distinguished botanists that leaf remains of 



By Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G., M.A., D.Sc, F.L.S. 



