256 Trauaactions. — Botany. 



another there, there is little to be found in the writings of 

 those botanists who treat of the Southern Islands, as to the 

 extent, limits, altitude, or edapbic conditions of the plant- 

 formation which these plants constitute, or whether, indeed, 

 such plants do form a distinct society. From the writings of 

 Sir Joseph Hooker it seems clear that at the northern end of 

 Auckland Island — that part alone of the group where his 

 botanical explorations were made— a considerable altitude 

 must be reached before the above-mentioned striking plants 

 are encountered in any number, while he distinctly points out 

 that on Campbell Island, owing to their occurrence at a lower 

 altitude, they form a more striking feature of the landscape. 

 Thus, Hooker writes, " Beyond the wooded region some of 

 the same plants " [the forest trees] " in a dwarf state mingled 

 with others compose a broad shrubby belt, which ascends 

 the hills to an altitude of 800 ft. or 900 ft., gradually opening 

 out into grassy slopes, and succeeded by the alpine vegeta- 

 tion. It is especially towards the summits of the hills that 

 the most striking plants are found, vying in brightness 

 of colour with the arctic flora, and unrivalled in beauty by 

 those of any other antarctic country." 



On Adams Island, as mentioned before, strips of treeless 

 hillside reaching to the edge of the water alternate with 

 strips of rata forest. Now, it is just on these treeless pieces 

 of hillside that the formation under consideration appears 

 in that part of the Auckland Group, and so rich in striking 

 flowers is the piece of land at the western extremity of 

 Carnley Harbour that it has received the name of "Fan-child's 

 Garden," a tribute to the memory of the late John Fairchild, 

 who, as captain of the " Hinemoa," did much to advance the 

 knowledge of New Zealand natural history. 



The following are the most important members of the 

 I'leurophylktm formation : Pleurophyllum speciosum, Pleur. 

 criniferum, Cchmsia vernicosa, Cotula j^lumosa, Cot. propivqita 

 (CompositcB) ; Ligusticum (Acipliylla) latifolmm, Lig. (Aciph.) 

 antipodum (Umbelliferce) ; Nerteradepressa (Bubiacece) ; Epi- 

 Lobiuvi confer tifolium (OnagracecB) ; Stitbocarpa polaris (Ara- 

 liacece) ; Acceua sangmsorbce var. antarctica (Rosacea) ; Myo- 

 sotis capitata (BoraginacccB) ; Gentiana concinna, Gent, ccrina 

 (Geatianacece) ; Bulbinella rossii (Lilincece) ; Scirpus atick- 

 landicun (Gyperacece) ; Aspidium vestitum, Aspleninm obtusa- 

 titm (Filices) ; various mosses, liverworts, and lichens. In 

 the gullies is a good deal of Veronica elliptica. 



Between the PieicrophyUuni, meadow and the stony beach 

 comes a zone of Poa, foliosa, the before-mentioned tussock- 

 grass with great "trunks," Carex trifida, and alternating with 

 these, or in close proximity to them, Stilbocarpa polaris and 

 Ligusticum latifolium. Probably the Pleurophyllum forma- 



