CocKA\NE. — Botanical Excursion to Southern Islands. 271 



to be found than in Auckland Island, dependent upon the 

 configuration of the ground and to some degree upon the 

 smaller size of the island. On Antipodes Island, as will be 

 seen further on, the scrub attains still snjaller dimensions, 

 and has almost reached the vanishing-point, while on Mac- 

 quarie Island there is no scrub at all (39). These islands, then, 

 as a whole, afford an instruQtive example of how arborescent 

 plant-formations even in a rain-forest climate may be inhibited 

 by frequent and violent winds and their place taken by 

 meadow growths, which, notwithstanding the wind, are so 

 stimulated by the moisture as to be of very great luxuriance. 



The arborescent constituents of the scrub are the following: 

 Dracophylluin longifoliuni, Dracojjhylluvi sp. (not identified) 

 ( Ericacea) ; Coprosma cuneata. Cop. ciliata, Cop. parviflora 

 (Ruhiacece) ; Suttonia divaricata (Myrsi)iacecs). From this it 

 appears that this formation is closely allied to the subalpine 

 scrub of the Auckland Islands. 



Seen at a distance, as from the deck of a ship in either of 

 the harbours, the Dracophi/lhcm scrub of Campbell Island pre- 

 sents an even surface, and puts one in mind of the Leptosper- 

 mum scrub so common on poor soil in many parts of New 

 Zealand. It occurs on both sides of Perseverance Harbour, 

 especially near the entrance and on the north side, where, 

 however, it has been much burned. The long comparatively 

 flat valley leading inland from the head of North-east Harbour 

 is filled in many places with scrub, which ascends thence to a 

 considerable height up the slopes on both sides of this valley. 

 Generally speaking, the shrubs grow closely together, and are 

 of the most extremely dense habit of growth. There is no- 

 thing in my experience of quite a number of dense forest and 

 scrub growths in New Zealand more difficult for one to pene- 

 trate than this Dracophylluvi scrub of Campbell Island. In 

 many places one has to crawl beneath the stiff masses of 

 branches, but in other cases this is quite impossible, and one 

 has to scramble over the tops of the shrubs. Happily, here 

 and there open spaces occur, especially in the neighbourhood 

 of watercourses, where there are dense masses of herbaceous 

 plants, and such spots afford breathing-places. 



The dominant constituent of the scrub is the unidentified 

 species of DracojjJtyllum mentioned above." It varies con- 

 siderably in height, averaging perhaps l-5m., but is fre- 

 quently of lower growth. It possesses numerous densely 

 growing, strong, erect, rather brittle branches covered with 

 almost black bark. These branches are again much branched, 

 and furnished near their extremities with a close mass of 

 short leaves. The secondary branches pass from the main 

 stem' at an acute angle, curving slightly inwards. The ulti- 



* Perhaps a form of Dracophylluin scopariuin, Hook. f. 



