IN NEW ZEALAND; at 
leaved Fagus (No. 88) is the principal tree, there is but 
little underwood; indeed, plants seem as if they did not like 
the shade of these trees. One of the first things that attracted 
my attention this morning was a peculiar little plant (163) 
with succulent white berries, growing here and there at the 
foot of large trees, wherever the light decaying vegetable 
mould was deepest. I sought assiduously for perfect speci- 
mens, and was at length rewarded with them in flower and 
fruit: I have not met with any thing like it in New Zealand. 
A pretty shrub with an elegant leaf (171) abounded here; as 
did another shrub (165) possessing the habit of Myrsine, but 
neither of these could I detect in flower nor fruit. A new 
Orchideous plant sent in acid (262) I procured perfect speci- 
mens of from the foot of the trees in these woods ; it grew, 
however, singly, and appeared scarce. The natives told 
us that we might expect rain on these mountains (they having 
a proverb to the effect that it is never dry in these parts) and 
so indeed it came to pass. 
After we had proceeded for about two hours it baga to 
pour down in torrents; no shelter was at hand, so we were 
obliged to continue on in the cold and pelting rain. I much 
regretted the state of the weather, as I had every reason to 
expect new and rare plants i in these elevated regions. "The 
trees and shrubs large and small, were all beautifully festooned 
and draperied with dutpctmddie and Musci, as if wound by 
fairy fingers, evidencing the eternal humidity of these forests. 
The family of Filices, too, presented the most lovely spec- 
tacle this day I ever witnessed. In these deeply shaded 
recesses, my enchanting Todea superba (281) and graceful 
Lomaria rotundifolia (265 ante, flourished in perfection ; 
the densely crowded and dark green fronds of the former 
contrasting so beautifully with the light-coloured and elegant 
membranaceous ones of the latter; their fronds grouped 
in ever-living circles of green, from 5 to 6 feet in diameter ; 
many single fronds of either fern measuring upwards of 
3 feet in length. With them grew two species of Aspidium; 
one, A, pulcherrimum, (232, n. sp., W. C), a truly fine plant, 
