648 Floristik, Geographie, S3^stematik etc. 



Plant Formations. The coastal Vegetation is extremely varied 

 There are extensive sand-dunes with many phases in the develop- 

 ment of a plant-covering, and in only a few places has the indige- 

 nous Vegetation been interfered with by introduced plants; a dune 

 forest occupies the sheltered side of high dunes in Mason Bay r 

 the dominant tree being Griseliiiia littoralis. Coastal scrub occurs in 

 many places, Senecio rotundifolüis forming a well-marked association, 

 while in other places its dominance is shared by Olearia Colensoi. 

 The lowland Vegetation up to about 300 metres consists mainly of 

 ihe taxad forest of New Zealand, merging towards the shore into 

 coastal scrub, and succeeded at its upper limit by "manuka heath". 

 Two forest associations are recognised: a. Dacrydium ciipressinum 

 and Weinmannia racemosa are dominant, with Metrosideros lucida 

 abundant, the undergrowth is rarely dense but includes many ferns 

 and mosses; b. Dacrydium intermedium (Yellow Pine) occurring on 

 wetter ground, and characterised by huge cushions of Biyophytes. 

 Heaths, bogs and swamps also occur in places in the lowlands. 



A feature of the mountains of Stewart Island is that although 

 the highest do not exceed 1000 m. yet they are covered with a 

 Vegetation as truly alpine as the much higher mountains of New 

 Zealand. Also, in Stewart Island few of the mountain plants 

 are confined to the mountains, whereas in New Zealand many 

 of the same species are strictiy alpine or subalpine. The Vegetation 

 is classified as follows: a. Leptospenmmi scopariutn ("manuka") lor- 

 mation, which forms the zone above the forest; b. Subalpine scrub 

 succeeds the "manuka" and in its purer form is distinguished by 

 Olearia Colensoi with associates little differcnt from certain coastal 

 scrubs, the zone being thus determined more by exposure to wind 

 and light rather than to any special preference for a special altitude 

 or decrease of temperature; c. Boggy meadows or moors occupy 

 much of the higher ground on wet peat, and consist of a dense 

 mass of plants, Carpha alpina, Donatia novae-selandiae , Dracophyl- 

 lum politum, etc.; d. Rock Vegetation generally consists of subalpine 

 plants growing on cushions of peat, but locally true rock plants 

 occur — Polypodium purnilum^ Aciphylla ßabellata, Raoidia Goyeni, 

 and Helichrysum grandiceps. 



History of the Flora. The author prefers to include Stewart 

 Island as a district of the southern floristic province of New 

 Zealand; in the same district should also be included the Solan- 

 der Island and the Snares, although these latter form a con- 

 necting link with the subantarctic province proper. In discussing 

 the evidence for and against a former land-connection with South 

 Island (N. Z.), it is stated that out of 491 species and well-marked 

 varieties of spermophytes and pteridophytes on Stewart Island, 

 467 occur on the adjoining mainland in very similar plant associa- 

 tions. On the other hand, certain characteristic plants are absent, 

 e. g. Nothof agus, while others are rare; the explanation suggested 

 is that these plants have existed formerly but have succumbed to 

 competition. 



Floristic Botany. This extends to over 20 pages, the greater 

 part being a classified list of species known on Steward Island, 

 with remarks on abundance and distribution. There are alsu descrip- 

 tions of seventeen new species and varieties, details of which must 

 be sought in the original. 



Portions of the report are devoted to bird-life with a complete 

 list of known species. The future of the Island is also discussed 



