28 A LETTER FROM MAORI-LAND. 



Owing to the great demand for the timber, the Kauri trees are 

 rapidly diminishing in number, and though in the less accessible 

 mountain districts there are still magnificent Kauri forests, still we 

 cannot but think that if strong measures are not put in force, and 

 that soon, the Queen of the New Zealand forest will at no distant 

 date take its place, with the Moa, among the things that have 

 been. Truly, it w^ould be a great pity if such a thing should 

 occur. We have lost the Moa ; let us preserve the Kauri and the 

 Kiwi ! 



The large trees of the New Zealand forest have to contend 

 with a multitude of climbing and parasitic plants. Everywhere 

 one sees huge trees quite smothered under a load of vegetation, 

 or else lying dead and prostrate, having broken down under the 

 weight of their uninvited burthen. The Lawyer vines {Calamus) 

 of the Australian scrubs are here represented by the New Zealand 

 Raspberry vine, Ruhus Aus traits, a plant having much the same 

 habit as its Australian counterpart, but not being so formidably 

 armed. We have also the curious Supple Jack {Rhipigonum 

 scandens), a trailing climber, which well deserves its title. 



The approach of Christmas is heralded here, not by frost and 

 snow, as in the dear old country, but by sunshine and flowers, by 

 the blossoming of all manner of bright and glowing plants and by 

 the ripening of delicious fruits. But the herald of the joyful 

 season, par excellefice, to us is the breaking out in glorious profu- 

 sion of blossom of the magnificent Pokutukawa, or Christmas 

 Tree {Metrosideros fomefitosa). This is a large, dark-foliaged 

 tree, which grows profusely about Auckland, more especially 

 along the coast. When not in bloom it is a sombre-looking 

 tree, though graceful and ornamental, but when in the full glory of 

 blossom it is truly a splendid object. The flowers are clusters of 

 little groups of bells, three bells in each group ; the calyx is thick, 

 fleshy, and cup-shaped ; the petals are very small and rudiment- 

 ary, while the stamens are long and of a brilliant crimson colour, 

 and it is to them that the tree when in flower owes its singular 

 beauty. The flower-cups are full of nectar, each containing a 

 large drop. It is fertilised by the birds, which come to feed on 

 the nectar, and in so doing get the pollen from the long, stiff 

 stamens on their feathers, A large Christmas tree in full blossom 



