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EXTRACTS FROM MAIDEN S CRITICAL REVISION, 
VOL. 7, PAGES 397, 398, and 340. 
EXAMINATION OF ORGANS AND GENERAL APPEARANCE 
IN THE BUSH. 
Some of them promptly fade, or are readily deciduous. (The leaves, flowers, 
fruits of some species become discoloured and detached, although this does not 
specially apply to Eucalyptus.) Some organs, e.g., bracts and bracteoles and outer 
opercula are usually only seen on the early umbel or operculum; they are deciduous 
and prone to shrivel. The most certain way to see them is on a visit to the tree. 
The colours of filaments soon fade, even amongst those classed as “white,” which 
often should be recorded as cream-coloured, or even pale yellow. The anthers 
should, if possible, be studied from the fresh flowers. The shape of the bud, of the 
fruit, is best noted on the living plant, as the herbarium specimen always shows 
shrinkage, and sometimes different shapes. I have already (Part LYI. p. 331 ) 
drawn attention to the fact that the colours of young leaves, which fade almost as 
soon as gathered, can only be satisfactorily examined in the bush. 
A proper knowledge of the foliage of seedlings, of shoots, and of their 
correlation, shapes, and general morphological characters, can be studied adequately 
only in the bush, and by many consecutive visits to the bush. In the days to come 
the refinements of the cinematograph will be applied, with the view to securing a 
permanent record of the growth changes of foliage and other organs. 
Then, obviously, the best place to describe the general appearance of a tree is 
standing near it, a photograph being an inferior substitute. The appearance of 
the bark should be described while standing in front of the tree, especially as there 
are so many textures and colours. An axe-cut of the bark is valuable, but it should 
be borne in mind that the rough bark varies in the height to which it ascends up the 
trunk and branches, and this height of rough bark, the appearance of the smooth 
bark, and the diameter of the tree are all necessary data best recorded in the forest. 
An axe-cut of the timber may be taken at the same time, and the appearance of the 
fresh (and subsequently well seasoned) wood noted. The botanist never does any 
harm to the forest, and it is remarkable with what little sacrifice of plant-life he 
secures valuable data. 
THE AESTHETIC ASPECT OF THE GENUS. 
When the vastness of the genus and the infinite variety of the species is better 
understood by the average botanist, and he communicates his knowledge, obtained 
in the field, to the literary man, I am confident that the beauty and interest of 
Eucalypts will form the theme of many a poem, many an essay, many a descriptive 
account of an area more or less extensive. Eucalyptus is an intensely Australian 
theme, but no one not imbued with the Australian spirit will ever be able to properly 
handle it. I have casually referred (Part LII., p. 85 ) to the perennial interest of 
the Australian bush so far as the Eucalypts are concerned, and it is a matter of 
great satisfaction to observe that artists are endeavouring to understand Euca¬ 
lyptus, a sine qua non if they desire to pictorially interpret it to others. Painters 
will arise who will be able to depict the characters of scores (and additional ones 
