THE FORESTS. 43 



in all recently settled countries, the best timbers alone are used, and 

 the rest go to the wall, to make room for the flocks, herds, and crops 

 of the settler, although in many instances the forest is undoubtedly 

 the best crop the land will ever yield. 



THE KAURI AND KAHIKATEA FORESTS. 



As stated at the beginning of this chapter, New Zealand contains 

 many varieties of forests. Here only some of the more distinct are 

 mentioned. 



The kauri forest extends from the north of Auckland Provincial 

 District to almost latitude 38. It is probably the noblest tree com- 

 munity of temperate regions. The kauri (Agathis australis] (fig. 15) 

 is not a close relation of the Old World pines, but is nearer to the 

 monkey-puzzle family (Araucaria). 



A kauri forest by no means consists of that tree alone, for the 

 taraire (Beilschmiedia tarairi) very handsome, with its rather large 

 leaves, darkish - green above and bluish - white beneath is often 

 dominant.* The kauris form smaller or larger clumps. The kauri 

 trees themselves are some distance apart, and the spaces between 

 are filled up with a close growth of the huge tussocks of the kauri- 

 grass (Astelia trinervia) which, of course, is not a grass at all, but 

 belongs to the lily family and a sedge (Gaknia xanthocarpa], with 

 leaves sharp as a razor ; while growing through these are certain shrubs 

 or small trees, especially the aromatic-leaved maireire (Phebalium 

 nudum), the spiderwood (Dracophyllum latifoUum), Kirk's groundsel 

 (Senecio Kirkii), bearing in its season white daisy-like blossoms, and 

 the silver tree-fern (Cyathea dealbata}. Where the undergrowth is 

 more scanty the stately kauris appear in all their grandeur, their 

 huge grey, shining, columnar trunks rising up 60 ft. and may be 80 ft. 

 without a branch (fig. 16), and dwarfing altogether the other trees. 



High above the general forest-roof tower the great spreading 

 branches, themselves equalling forest-trees in size. At the base of 

 each tree is a pyramidal mound of humus caused by the shedding of 

 the bark. Common in the kauri forest is the fantastic and irregular 

 trunk of the rata (Metrosideros robusta) (fig. 17), its base covered 

 with sheets of translucent kidney - ferns (Trichomanes reniforme). 



* This is specially true of the northern forests. Those of the Thames and 

 the Waitakerei Range contained much more tawa (Beilschmiedia taica). 



