90  Notes  on  the  Eucalyptus.  {Xn>  YeZim&rm' 
The  E.  amygdalma  or  giant  eucalyptus,  called  "  Waugara,  "  by  the 
natives,  is  also  known  as  the  peppermint  tree.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  and  important  of  all  the  plants  in  the 
whole  creation.  Viewed  in  its  marvellous  height  when  standing 
forth  in  its  fullest  development  on  the  slopes  or  within  the 
glens  of  mountain  forests,  it  represents  probably  the  tallest  of  all 
the  trees  of  the  globe.  Regarded  as  a  hard  wood  tree  of  rapid 
growth  it  ranks  foremost,  and  contemplated  in  respect  to  its  yield 
of  volatile  oil  from  its  copious  foliage  it  is  unsurpassed  and  perhaps 
unequalled  by  any  tree  in  the  world.  These  qualities  have  made  it 
become  generally  known  and  much  through  the  exertions  of  Baron 
Von  Mueller,  this  tree  is  now  being  introduced  abroad  with  good 
results  in  countries  neither  subject  to  severe  frosts  or  intense  moist 
heat.  It  assumes  under  different  climatic  and  geologic  conditions, 
various  forms.  Thus,  in  the  ravines  of  the  cooler  ranges  it  attains  its 
greater  height,  combined  with  a  perfect  straightness  of  stem,  while  the 
bark  strips  so  completely  as  to  render  the  huge  stem  quite  smooth 
and  almost  white. 
In  the  more  open  country  it  is  much  smaller.  Under  these  con- 
ditions it  is  called  a  "  peppermint  tree  "  in  Victoria  and  Tasmania, 
and  a  "messmate  tree  "  in  New  South  Wales. 
In  Victoria  this  tree  often  exceeds  400  feet  in  height.  Such  trees 
are  found  on  the  Black  Spur,  Upper  Yarra  Yarra,  and  Upper  Goul- 
bourn.  A  fallen  tree  on  the  Dandenong  Ranges  measured  420  feet. 
The  length  of  the  stem  up  to  the  first  branch  was  295  feet.  The 
diameter  of  the  stem  where  it  was  broken  365  feet  from  the  root 
was  three  feet. 
A  still  thicker  tree  in  the  same  locality  measured  53  feet  in 
circumference  three  feet  from  the  ground. 
A  tree  near  Mount  Wellington,  Tasmania,  has  been  found  which 
measured  12  feet  in  diameter  220  feet  from  the  ground.  Another 
tree  was  found  1 30  feet  in  circumference  at  the  base.  Within  a 
square  mile  100  trees  could  be  counted  with  a  circumference  of  at 
least  40  feet.  At  the  foot  of  Mount  Baw  Baw,  Victoria,  is  found 
the  highest  of  the  giant  trees  of  Australia.  This  monster  is  471  feet 
high,  and  another  on  the  Cape  Otway  ranges  is  415  feet  in  height. 
The  final  height  is  sometimes  attained  by  a  single  branch  pushing 
skyward. 
It  is  a  grand  picture  to  see  a  mass  of  enormous  tall  trees  of  this 
