234 Transactions. — Botany. 



section is ten miles and the height of the western cliffs 

 1,000 ft. ; so that by adopting the usually accepted curve for 

 volcanic deposits we have the following result : Auckland 

 Island is the remnant of a great volcanic cone that was 

 12,000 ft. in height and 50 miles in diameter in early Tertiary 

 times, the chief centre having been about eight miles west 

 of Disappointment Island. Four-fifths of the original mass 

 has been removed by the denuding force of the westerly 

 waves." 



CLIMATE. 



" The temperature is very equable," writes Mr. C. Enderby, 

 " the snow never lying more than three days on the ground, 

 except on the summit of the hills. The winds are violent and 

 of long duration ; the gales are mostly from the north-west, 

 although I experienced two from the eastwa.rd unusually 

 strong. They mostly commence at north with a falling baro- 

 meter, veer gradually to west aiad west-south-west, and at times 

 blow most violently. When the barometer begins to rise the 

 gale ceases at south or south-south-west." Captain Benjamin 

 Morrell, writing in 1830, states (90), " The climate is mild, 

 temperate, and salubrious. In the month of July, the dead 

 of winter, the weather is mild as respects cold, the ther- 

 mometer never being lower than 38° Fahr. in the valleys ; 

 and the trees at the same time retain their verdure, as if it 

 were midsummer. In December and January the ther- 

 mometer was 78° Fahr." Hooker thus writes of the climate 

 (46, p. 2), " The climate is rainy and very st(3rmy, so that on 

 the windward side the plants are stunted and checked, and 

 resemble those of a higher southern latitude or of an elevation 

 of several hundred feet above that which the same species 

 inhabit on the sheltered parts." Some extracts from Mus- 

 grave's journal (83) give some idea of the climate in the 

 south of Auckland Island : " Sunday, 14th February, 1864. — 

 During the first part of the past week we had very heavy and 

 almost constant rain ; wind moderate." " This is a dread- 

 ful place for rain ; but still we appear to have got to a place 

 where it falls least." " There is one place where it scarcely 

 ever ceases raining ; this is caused by the form of the land 

 in that particular place (which wc have named Eainy Corner), 

 which is backed by a very high mountain, which bursts the 

 low clouds as they pass over it." " Sunday, 6th March, 

 1864. — The first part of the past week was very fine, but 

 since Wednesday we have had continual drizzhng rain, with 

 light westerly winds, until midnight last night, when it came 

 on to blow a very heavy gale, and continued ever since, with 

 frequent showers." " Sunday, 20th Marcli, 1864. — During the 

 last week we have had notliing but a succession of westerly 

 gales, which only cease for a few hours and then blow £igain 



