The elegant drooping manna-trees (_Eucalyptus mannifera_) were numerous, and at this season secreted the peculiar saccharine mucilaginous substance called _manna_, which, in greater or less quantities, was lying upon the ground beneath them, or upon their leaves, trunks, and branches, in small white flakes, resembling bits of starch. The taste of this secretion is sweet and mucilaginous, having a greater or less aperient effect on different individuals; it is quite a sweetmeat, and seems to consist of mucilage, sugar, and probably some magnesia: although it readily acts as an aperient on some persons, upon others it produces no effect; it does not dissolve in the sun, but, on the contrary, becomes dryer and of harder consistence, by exposure; rain dissolves it, but more secretion of it takes place after wet than during a continuance of dry weather. Many of the colonists supposed the manna was secreted from the leaves of the tree, but from the foliage having a strong camphorated taste and odour, which the manna has not in the slightest degree, it was not probable; others again supposed it to proceed from the nectaries of the flowers, which are white, growing in clusters, and give to the tree a beautiful appearance when in bloom, attracting multitudes of parroquets. This tree, similar to the other _Eucalypti_, secretes a red gum, both spontaneously and in larger quantities, on incisions being made on the trunk. Birds and several insects feed upon the manna; among others the “Galang, galang,” as they are named in the language of the country, the “locust” of the colonists, of which insects, as I have before said, the aborigines declare it to be the excrement. The tree is called in the aboriginal language “Bartoman,” and the manna is named “Cú ningaban;” it is collected and eaten by the natives. The growth of the tree, when young, is graceful and elegant; the bark is covered with a whitish powder, which readily rubs off upon the fingers, and the bark underneath is of a greyish colour; the bark of the “white gum” (_Eucalyptus species_) resembles this tree, but may be distinguished by not having a black butt like the manna-tree. On examining the tree to ascertain positively from what part of it the manna was secreted, I found in several that the manna exuded in a liquid form in minute drops from the bark, and then concreted; on some it had oozed out and had concreted upon the trunk in large thin flakes; it exuded about the consistence of syrup, and in taste was sweet; when secreted from the branches it falls from those above, upon the leaves, &c. of others beneath, and upon the ground, where, during a plentiful season, a large quantity may be collected.