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and on warm, clear, still days they flung to the more umbrageous parts, particularly to trees that, having 
been deprived of old limbs," shot forth vigorous stems, thickly clustered with leaves. To one of these, in 
which the male insects were making an intolerable noise, I directed my steps, and quietly sheltered myself 
f.-om a hot wind that was crossing the harbour, bringing with it a dense column of smoke, which for a short 
time shut out the powerful rays of the sun. I found that the ground about the root of the tree was thinly 
covered with the sugar -like substance, and in a few minutes I felt that a fluid was dropping, which soon 
congealed on my clothes into a white substance. On rising cautiously to ascertain from whence it came, 
with a full determination not to disturb the insects but to watch their pursuits, I observed that it was passing 
of a syrup-like consistence per anuin from the cicadic. As it ran down the smooth branches of the gum- 
tree and over the leaves it gradually congealed, and formed a white efflorescence. Whilst ejecting this 
fluid, the insect raised the lower part of the abdomen and passed oil three or four drops in sudden jets, 
which cither streamed down the stem, or fell on the leaves or ground. 
I watched them for nearly half an hour, and in that space of time observed between twenty and 
thirty distil this fluid, which gradually concreted into a white substance. I collected above three ounces, 
some of which I still have in my possession. The natives gather it in their rush baskets and use it as a part 
of their food. 
Every traveller seems to observe it. G. Bennett, " Wanderings of a Naturalist 
in New South Wdes," &c., i, 319-321 (1834), speaks of it in southern New South Wales : 
The elegant drooping manna-trees (Eucalyptus mannifcra) were numerous, and at this season secreted 
the peculiar saccharine mucilaginous substance called manna, which, in greater or less quantities, was lying 
upon the ground beneath them, or upon their leaves, trunks, and branches, in small white flakes, resembling 
bits of starch. The taste of this secretion is sweet and mucilaginous, having a greater or less aperient 
effect on different individuals ; it is quite a sweetmeat, and seems to consist of mucilage, sugar, and probably 
some magnesia ; although it readily acts as an aperient on some persons, upon others it produces no effect ; 
it does not dissolve in the sun, but, on the contrary, becomes dryer and of harder consistence, by exposure ; 
rain dissolves it, but more secretion of it takes place after wet than during a continuance of dry weather. 
Many of the colonists supposed the manna was secreted from the leaves of the tree, but from- the foliage 
having a strong camphorated taste and odour, which the manna has not in the slightest degree, it was not 
probable ; others again supposed it to proceed from the nectaries of the flowers, which are white, growing 
in clusters, and give to the tree a beautiful appearance when in bloom, attracting multitudes of parroquets. 
The tree is called in the aboriginal language, " Bartoman," and the manna is named " Cuningaban " ; 
it is collected and eaten by the natives. The growth of the tree, when young, is graceful and elegant ; the 
bark is covered with a whitish powder, which readily rubs off upon the fingers, and the bark underneath 
is of a greyish colour ; the bark of the " white gum " (Eucalyptus species) resembles this tree, but may be 
distinguished by not having a black butt like the manna-tree. On examining the tree to ascertain 
positively from what part of it the manna was secreted, I found in several that the manna exuded in a liquid 
form in minute drops from the bark, and then concreted ; on some it had oozed out and had concreted 
upon the trunk in large thin flakes ; it exuded about the consistence of syrup, and in taste was sweet ; when 
secreted from the branches it falls from those above, upon the leaves, &e., of others beneath, and upon 
the ground, where, during a plentiful season, a large quantity may be collected. 
The rain that had fallen the day previous to my examination of these trees, and the heat of the sun 
causing a quantity of manna to exude from them, its mode of secretion could be more readily distinguished. 
It is usually secreted about the commencement of December ; but it depends on the weather whether the 
secretion is in greater or less quantity ; this season it was abundant. 
The manna trees had commenced, during the latter part of December, to throw of! their outer bark ; 
their trunks, therefore, had a ragged appearance, and the ground underneath was strewed with dried, crisped 
pieces which had fallen off, leaving a smooth and handsome new bark in their place. 
In the above passage, E. rubida is probably referred to. 
In Dr. Bennett's later work, " Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia " (1860), 
pp. 270-3, there are some interesting notes which are a supplement to the former ones. 
A somewhat detailed account of the " Tettogonise or Tree-hoppers which are known 
in Australia as Cicadas or Locusts " is given. 
