Cockayne. — Botanical Excursion to SoiUhem Islands. 287 



examine the vegetation of the fiat ground extending from the 

 base of Mount Galloway northwards, the ridge forming the 

 south-eastern boundary of this flat ground, the slopes on both 

 sides of this ridge, the gully tbi-ough which the northern 

 stream flows, and the tussock slopes and rocks on tbe northern 

 side of the island near the landing-place. It Vvill be seen 

 from this that the whole western side of the island and the 

 greater part of the southern side is still botanieally unex- 

 plored, and this comprises somewhat about one-half of the 

 island, small as it is. All the same, I think there will hardly 

 be any other plant-formations of any importance than those 

 described below, unless it be a swamp formation in the west, 

 at that point marked " Swampy " in Fairchild's map (33): and 

 perhaps the actual summit of Mount Galloway may have a 

 different combination of plants to the meadow formation de- 

 scribed below. During a long summer's day, if the weather 

 kept fine, it would be easy for an active man to travel over the 

 greater part of tbe island, especially if he had an assistant to 

 carry some of the impedimenta. The lake on the summit of 

 Mount Galloway requires a careful examination for water- 

 plants. 



THE PLANT-FORMATIONS. 



Speaking generally, the vegetation of Antipodes Island, 

 when viewed from an eminence, seems to consist of dense 

 masses of tussock-grasses, so tbat one might at first glance be 

 apt to consider the whole plant covering as but one formation, 

 which might be designated "tussock meadow," or some such 

 name. But on a closer examination it is clearly to be seen 

 that the plant covering is by no means a uniform one, and 

 that different conditions of water-content in the soil, of shelter 

 from the constant fierce winds, of proximity to the sea or to 

 " bird-rookeries " have led to the differentiation of sufiBciently 

 well-marked plant formations and associations, some of which 

 are separated from one another by sharp boundaries and do 

 not mingle to any extent, although they have many species in 

 common ; that is to say, such formations present themselves 

 as distinct groups of the vegetation rather from the manner in 

 which their members are combined than from these being dif- 

 ferent species. Thus we have here an instructive example of 

 how from the same materials several distinct combinations 

 can be made by slightly different surroundings, the poverty of 

 the flora emphasizing the selective power of the habitat. 



The plant-formations which I noted as forming more or 

 less distinct societies are the following : (1) Maritime rocks ; 

 (2) tussock meadow, divided into three sub-formations — 

 (a) maritime tussock slopes, (b) flat tussock meadow, (c) in- 

 land tussock slopes ; (3) scrub ; (4) bog ; (5) inland rocks 

 (6 and 7) stream and swamp. 



