148 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



The gloom of an American pine-forest was not there, as 

 most of the bush areas in New Zealand, at the lower levels, 

 are of a more or less mixed nature, and not confined to any 

 one species of tree. The forest glades were shaded and cool, 

 but the undergrowth of shrubs was vigorous, and ferns of 

 many kinds grew in countless numbers and in all positions, 

 forming mats on the ground, climbing up the trunks of tree- 

 ferns or trees, or perching themselves in the fork of some giant 

 pine or broadleaf, shared their breezy post with, ]3erhaps, an 

 Astelia or some other plant, whose seed had by some chance 

 lodged there, in a suitable place for its development. Life was 

 rampant everywhere. The giant pine, which had struggled 

 and grown skyward during the ages, and had at last died and 

 fallen crashing to the ground, formed in its decay a nursery for 

 the growth of its successors, and numbers of small and lowly 

 forms of plant-life. We can scarcely picture to ourselves 

 any commencement of this domination of the dry land by 

 the vegetable creation, and, doubtless, the areas under bush 

 varied considerably from time to time in accordance with 

 the existing geological conditions ; but probably for a long 

 time before the advent of man to New Zealand the land area, 

 as we now see it, was much the same in extent, and largely 

 covered with bush. The advent of savage man would make 

 very little difference in the scene. His tools were feeble, and 

 his wants were few ; the onl}^ factor of destruction that would 

 make any material difference would be the starting of fires by 

 artificial means, either intentionally or by accident. In this 

 part of the country destructive fires could only occur in excep- 

 tional seasons ; but some such cause must be put forward to 

 account for the disappearance of the timber from a very large 

 area of Southland and Otago. There is, I believe, a tradition 

 of the whole country between Southland and Canterbury 

 having been swept by " the fire of Tamatea." 



This tradition of a great fire is, hov^ever, also found in the 

 North Island, and is considered by experts to relate to an 

 experience in some other country, and to refer to some great 

 fire caused by a volcano. The introduction of agricultural 

 operations has produced certain changes by diverting drainage- 

 channels, draining swamps, and altering generally the original 

 local conditions. 



It would be an interesting study, and surely not difficult 

 to accomplish with the co-operation and help of members 

 of the Institute and their friends, to mark on a map the 

 areas in Canterbury and Otago which even now show 

 lingering traces of forest-growth in the shape of buried stumps 

 and huge logs, the heart- wood — often charred — of great trees. 

 In many parts of the North Island great quantities of sound 

 timber is to be found buried, and was much sought after 



