A POPULAR SKETCH 
OF THE 
NATURAL HISTORY 
OF 
Q U B E S L A.:Nr D: 
By price FLETCHER. 
INTRODUCTORY. 
Of the many curiosities peculiar to the auimal life of Australia, a fair 
share falls to the colony of Queensland. Th« immigi’ant, whether ho 
he a scientific scholar or simply an observer, will find a constant book 
of novelty open for inspection. It is this charm of novelty which 
makes this Austral land such a paiTidise to the lover of nature. bTo 
matter what direction a journey is taken, whether into the ordinary 
forest of the coast, or to the dense jungles of the luver banks, or over 
the vast pniiries of the interior, forms now to the eye of the European 
natumlist will be observed, until at last real pleasure is actually 
experienced at the relief from novelty which is‘felt by finding a form 
almost identical with some well-remembered species of the old world. 
Even from the deck of a ship, and before a foot has been placed on 
land, a feeling of pleasure will be experienced by the naturalist as Ins 
glance takes in the vast expanse of forest before him, and he ponders 
over the fact that its growth is that of the wonderful eucalyptus 
family of trees, whose medicinal and other virtues are the talk of the 
world. In imagination he will revel in the happiness of a lamble in a 
virgin forest of an extent greater than that of an English county— 
indeed greater than the whole area of England. The land breezo 
blowing will waft to him a sweet scent, which he will at once pro¬ 
nounce to be that of the mimosa, his book knowledge having 
previonsly told him that the acacia family of ti^ees is the one that most 
successfully combats with the eucalyptus in the struggle for existence 
against the many vicissitudes of Australian life. 
Upon landing, the first journey into this forest will ho a drop into 
wonder-land. The newly-arrived naturalist will see the Encalypt in 
its grandest stage of beauty, that is as a gnarled, broken-limbed 
gigantic old gum tree, whoso gray bark is grizzled and rixgged, and 
whose bare bi’anches stretch out to such an extent that the wonder is 
excited as to how they are sustained. He will notice the peculiarly 
narrow leaves, with their hardened surfaces, suspended so as not to 
he constantly exposed to tlie one ray from the overpowering sun. 
The bark, hanging in shreds, will attract attention, and on tearing down 
a strip his entomological fancies will rejoice, for he will see before him 
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