74 
Leaves. —Mr. E. B. Guthrie, in Agric. Gazette, N.S. TP., October, 1899, has 
analysed these leaves under the name of “ Booligal,” with the following result:— 
Water. 
Ash. 
Fibre. 
Ether extract 
(oil, &c.). 
Albumin¬ 
oids. 
Carbo¬ 
hydrates. 
Nutrient 
value. 
Albumin¬ 
oid ratio, 
Tannin 
(oak bark). 
16-07 
4-13 
9-05 
7-24 
6-75 
56-76 
80 
1 : 11 
5-6 
Gum leaves sometimes edible, sometimes not. I have for many 
years made inquiries in regard to the fodder-value of our native vegetation. It is 
very easy to say whether certain plants are edible or not, but in regard to some of 
our trees and shrubs it is simply impossible to reconcile the statements concerning 
them. From the same district one receives the same species of plant in two different 
parcels, with the label that stock eat the one and reject the other. The plants are 
not even in a different stage of growth; they simply are identical in every respect. 
If they were sent at different times by different people one might solemnly record 
them as edible or the reverse, and the information, without qualification, would 
be misleading. 
The fact of the matter is, there are two factors, the plant and the animal. 
The plant may vary and be edible in one district or at a particular season of the 
year, or particular sheep, cattle, or horses may be fond of this particular plant, while 
others may reject it. In other words, all plants of the same species may not be 
edible, and all animals of the same kind may not show partiality to the same plants. 
Animals have their idiosyncrasies just as men have, liking one kind of food 
and disliking another. If we could but persuade some Australian animals that certain 
plants are so nutritious and palatable if they would only take our advice, what a 
different place Australia would be ! Much depends on the district in which an 
animal is bred; much depends on habits of feeding he has recently formed—in 
other words, as regards foods an animal may be bred from infancy in the midst of 
certain food, and use of it may be quite natural to him, or through necessity he may 
have become educated to it. In either case he will eat similar food in another 
district or reject dissimilar. 
If the flock or herd be of mixed origin (in the above sense), when they come 
to a new locality some of the animals will eat a certain plant, while others will 
reject it. 
I published a note on Edible and Non-edible Bed Gum-leaves {Eucalyptus 
rostrata ) in the Agricultural Gazette for June, 1899, p. 496. I got specimens 
from Moulamein, absolutely identical as far as I could see, with the labels from the 
same gentleman that sheep were fond of one and rejected the other. 
Then from Marra Creek, via, Nyngan, I have received several specimens of 
twigs of “ Box, Drooping Box, or Coolabah ” ( Eucalyptus bicolor, A. Cunn.), i.e., 
the tree now figured and described, with the following notes :—(1) Sheep will not 
