BOTANICAL REPORT, ETC. 
Tirhatuan, 2nd October, 1853. 
Sir, 
I do myself the honor of laying before your Excellency, in the enclosed 
papers, the result of my botanical investigations in tins province. 
My chief attention, for the first five months after being located here, 
Avas directed to the family of Eucalyptidce, or Gum Trees, among Avhich I have 
discovered five distinct and Avell-marked genera, hitherto unknown as such, and 
apparently peculiar to Victoria ; together with two other new genera, which 
occur also in the adjacent province. 
Having had no accommodation for arranging the different species for 
comparison, &c., I have been necessitated to pack them up as fast as collected. 
It is fjuite impossible, therefore, for me to state, Avith any degree of certainty, 
the number of new species contained in the above genera. The packets of dried 
specimens, seeds, and capsules, Avill be seen to form a grand total of 1520. I 
am therefore disposed to think, that even if tAVO-thirds may hereafter prove 
varieties only, there Avill yet remain more than 500 species, botanically distinct, 
only tAvo or three of which I have found in Noav South Wales. 
My researches, in respect to timber trees (from causes already Avell 
known), have been quite unsuccessful. The Red Gum {Canthocarpus, La.), 
and the straight Stringy Bark {Tricanthus, La.), are the only genera I have 
found Avhose Avood is useful either for saAving or splitting. Specimens of the 
former (of an unknown species), have been procured and sent to the curator. 
The latter, of which there are numberless species, and a feAV of that of 
Microcarpus, or Native Box, are mostly used for fencing. 
No reasonable doubt, however, can be entertained, that other parts of 
the province are more productive than this seems to be of valuable timber ; and 
as the Colonial Botanist has had the requisite facilities at his disposal for 
ascertaining this fact during his extensive excursions, he Avill doubtless have 
succeeded far better than myself in developing the economical properties of the 
Victoria timber trees. 
During the last year I have made various attempts and experiments to 
discover the principles of variation amongst the Cassuarince, vulgarly called 
He and She Oaks, but Avhich in reality are the true Pines of Australia. It 
was only in June last, hoAveA'er, that this discovery Avas eflfected, and the con- 
viction then andved at that all the descriptions noAV existing Avere perfectly and 
essentially defective, and therefore quite useless ; and that this and the genus 
Exocarpus are the most extraordinary groups of trees yet discovered in 
Australia. Without being further tedious (as I intend to bring this discovery 
before the public in another shape), 1 shall merely state to your Excellency, 
that the facts I am prepared to bring forward Avill establish the folloAving 
propositions : — 
1. That the Australian Pines belong more to a very remote or 
primeval Flora than to tlie present. 
2. That they are sloAvly, but surely, disappearing from the face of the 
earth, and giving place to that comparatively recent order of vegetables AAdiicli 
springs up in their stead. In this respect they offer a Avonderful analogy to 
Avhat Ave have ourselves Avitnessed in regard to the aboriginal tribes of Australia 
noAV giving place to those of the Caucasian race. 
