The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-07-13

reports that call those measured were
over 800 feet in length"
Eucalyptus trees reproduce them
selves readily and grow about seven
times more rapidly than oak or hick-
DRY. From a ton of bark of the gimlet
tree was obtained by analysis 41G
pounds of tannin extract and 30S
pounds of oxalic acid. From the gum
and leaves of these trees come also
the highly valuable eucalyptus oils,
from which no less than twenty-seven
constituents have been distilled for
pharmaceutical purposes and for the
separation of metals by the fiotation
process.
The eucalyptus is the great timber
tree of the continent. Of sixty vari-
cites in Victoria, twenty have high
commercial value and are finding an
ever-increasing market. The Tas-
manian blue gum is one of the strong
est, densest, and most durable woods
in the world. Timbers 2 feet square,
exceeding 100 feet in length, are
readily obtained, and, when used for
piling, need not be weighted, for the
density of the wood is such that it
sinks in water. Their strength is
twice that of English oak, and they
are practically immune from attack
by the teredo, which plays such havoc
with ordinary timbers.
Tho iarrah n QnnolUntnc of
Australia, is another famous tree. 1t
is one of the few woods of the world
which successfully resist the ravages
of white ants; it is practically i'm
mune from the attacks of marine Dor
ers, and, like the iron-bark of Vic
toria and New South Wales, has been
known to withstand fire better than
iron Orders.
Many Beautiful Birds.
Australia is stocked with beautifm
birds, many of them of unusual as.
pect The man vino originated the
popular saying that Australian birds
have plumage, but no song" must
have lived in a sOund-prOof box
Among the TO species are included
some of the most brilliantly colOred
sweetest voiced and most unusual
birds in the world.
Along the northeast coast is the
bower bird, which adorns it's nest
and decorates its playing ground with
shells, seeds, and other bright OBJ.
jects, not despising brass buttons and
cartridge cases.
The Tyre bird, famous for its plum.
age, is the rival of the mOckingbird
of the South in sweetness of tone and
skill as a mimic. The crow-shrikes
('magpies"), the brown flycatcher
("jacky winter'), the bush warbler,
the rock warbler, the reed warbler,
the bush lark, the cuckoOs, the honey
eaters, and the 'willy wagtail," con.
stitute parts of bird chorus difficult
to surpass. Cockatoos are as com.
mon in Australia as crows in the
Central West even in the desert flocks
are frequently seen. Some of them
are excellent takers, most of them
gorgeously dressed.
A most surprising bird is the koo-
kooburra, or laughing jackass. All at
once in the quiet bush come loud
peals of uproarious, mocking laughter.
One is not inclined to join in the
merriment-it all seems as foolish and
weird as if an idiot boy were disturb
ing congregation in church. When
the source of the laughter is located it
turns out to be silly-lOOking bird
with clumsy, square body and open
mouth, sitting unconcernedly on
stump.
The ibis occurs by thousands, and
the gigantic black-necked stork, or
jabiru, standing feet high, inhabits
the swamps of the northern coast,
while the graceful black swan fire.
quents the estuaries and lakes. The
malice hen and the brush turkey build
mounds of sticks, leaves, and earth 3
to 10 feet high. The eggs are laid
and are left to be Matched by the
heat resulting from decomposing vege-
table matter-a homemade community
incubator.
The cassowary of the forests of
Queensland and Papua and the emu,
which is found throughout the con-
tinent, are unknown outside the Aus
tralian region. The emu is the ma
tiOnal bird and shares with the kan
CARGO the task of unfolding the shield
on the commonwealth coat of arms.
1t is powerful bird and can run at the
rate Of 10 to 20 miles an hour.