MOUNT EGMONT, NEAV ZEALAND. 59 



much further south ; Metrosideros tomentosa is also found a few 

 miles north of the town ; but this appears to be its southern limit. 

 Both of those trees are further south than they were supposed 

 to be. 



The most prominent trees of the bush on this range, are 

 Weinmannxa racemom (the bark of which is stripped for tanning), 

 Metrosideros florida^ Podocarpics Totara, Knightia excelsa^ J)y- 

 soxylum spectahile, Dacrydium ferrugineum^ Melicytus ramiflorus, 

 Aristotelia racemosa^ Drimys accillarisy Schejffiera digitata. The 

 ferns also have a Wellington aspect: — Cyathea dealhata^ and C. 

 medullaris^ DicJcsonia antarctica and D, squarrosa, JVephrodium 

 velutimtm and N. hispiduin^ TricTiomanes reniforme. Two very 

 fine mosses are common, Polytrichum dendroides and Dawsonia 

 superia. 



The most prominent plants of the shrubby region, at an alti- 

 tude of 3500 feet, are Lihocedrus Doniana, which stauds a giant 

 amongst the rest, Senecio elceagnifoJius, very abundant, Olearia 

 nitida also common, Panaoc Sinclairi, Coprosma cuneata^ Pitto- 

 sporitm tenuifolivm^ Coriaria ruscifoUa, Cassinia Vauvilliersi% Dra- 

 cophyllum Urvillianum. 



On patches of open ground will be found Veronica macrocarpa 

 and Veronica Icevis, ^Ranunculus nivicola, Ourisia macropTiylla^ 

 and many small plants, also found on the Cone, to be afterwards 

 mfentioned. 



From the summit of this range the track descends very steep 

 to the great swamp at the base of Mount Egmont. On this slope 

 begins Cordyline indivisa, a very fine species, often dividing into 

 many branches ; this is a very diiferent plant from the Cordyline 

 indivisa of Dusky Bay, 



Crossing the great swamp by one mile of heavy walking, the 

 legs sinking deep in SpTiagmim moss, the track passes np the 

 bed of a creek for half a mile. This creek passes over Bell's Fall, 

 becoming a branch of the Rocky River ; it Is subject to heavy 

 floods. Leaving this creek, and crossing the watershed between 

 it and another creek, the track follows down for a few hundred 

 yards to the junction of the first creek from the left, falling 

 from the Cone. It is from this junction that the track starts to 

 rise to the Cone. 



Arrangements should always be made to start from this point, 

 to make the top and back again in one day : failing this precau- 

 tion, none of our party made the extreme top ; but this was of 

 little consequence, as vegetation ceases entirely at GoOO feet. 



