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Vernacular Names. —“Red Ash,” “Leather Jacket,” and “Coopers’ Wood.” 
In the Illawarra district of New South Wales it is called “Humbug.” 
Its general name is “ Red Ash,” owing to the frequently bright red appearance 
of the heart-wood. Occasionally also it is called “Mountain Ash.” Ror obvious 
reasons it is sometimes known as “ Coopers’ Wood,” while its smooth compact bark 
is alluded to in the name “ Leather Jacket.” 
Aboriginal Names. —The late Sir William Macartliur gave the name 
“Murrung,” in use by the aboriginals in the Illawarra district, and Mr. Charles 
Moore gave “Nono Gwyinandie,” as in use on the Clarence River many years ago. 
In northern New South Wales an aboriginal name was also “ Culgera-culgera,” 
while some Queensland ones called it “ Mec-a-mce.” Mr. Forester Mecham gave 
its aboriginal name on the Bellinger as “ Coraminga.” 
Synonym. —Colubrina excelsa, Fenzl. in Huegel, Enum. 20. 
Fruit .—Three to five lines in diameter, described by Asa Gray as a globose, 
baccate drupe, girt at the base with the persistent circumscissile tube of the calyx, 
which forms a kind of cupule. 
The colour of the fruit is a dull bluish-black, which contains shiny reddish- 
brown seeds embedded in a brown powdery substance. 
Bark. —On observing a statement that Bed Ash bark had been used for 
tanning, I investigated a sample from Bangley Creek, Cambewarra. It yieldel 321) 
per cent, of extract, but only S per cent, of tannic acid, and the comparatively high 
percentage of 3 75 of gallic-acid and impurities. The bark powders well, and yields 
but little fibre; the powder is, however, of a dark brown colour. The colour of the 
liquor is deep for a bark yielding such a low percentage of tannic acid, but the liquid 
remaining after extraction of the tannic acid by hide powder is of a light reddish- 
brown colour, differing from the colouring matter of Acacia barks, which is entirely 
removed by hide powder. This points to the fact that skins tanned with Red Ash 
bark would not turn out so dark a colour as would be expected from examination of 
the liquor. 
Timber .—When a log is freshly cut it is of a pale colour, and looks simply 
like Ash. It is straight in the grain, works easily, and is somewhat tough. But in 
the course of a few weeks or months the heart-wood darkens, the sapwood retaining 
its original pale colour. According to age of tree, length of exposure or seasoning, 
this heart-wood may change to brown-reds of all depths of tint and even to bright 
red of a very ornamental character. The meaning of the name “ Red Ash” is thus 
explained. When I first gave attention to this timber some years ago, I had a piece 
so fiery red that I did not believe the colour was natural, and planed the surface, 
only to find the colour was skin deep, but it returned, in course of time, to its 
original deep colour. This colouration has not yet been carefully examined, and we 
