302 Transactions. — Botany. 



were distributed over various parts of the island by Hooker. 

 Eabbits were also landed on Enderby Island. Near the 

 Observatory the forest was set on fire, with the result that 

 the v^hole country " appeared in a blaze of fire at night " (91, 

 p. 151, et seq.). 



Enderby introduced cattle and sheep in 1850, but the 

 whole of tnese were killed by the early sealers. Captain 

 Norman, in 1865, landed four goats, three females and one 

 male, on the soiith side of Terror Cove, but none of these have 

 been seen since that date. 



On Enderby Island cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats were 

 landed by C. Enderby in 1850. In 1865 Captain Norman 

 placed a few goats and rabbits on the island, " which at once 

 took to the English grass " (90). In 1894 cattle and sheep 

 were brought by the " Hinemoa." Probably there are about 

 ten head of cattle at the present time. 



Eabbits were put on Eose Island by Enderby, who 

 writes, " I had rabbits in the first instance on a small piece 

 of detached land between Auckland and Eose Island, but 

 they multiplied so rapidly that there was not sufficient food 

 for them," so he removed some of them to Eose Island, where, 

 as on Enderby Island also, there are considerable numbers at 

 the present time. There are also about fifteen head of cattle 

 on Eose Island ; some have been placed there in 1894. 



Two or three goats were landed on Ewing Island in 1895, 

 but none have been seen recently. On Ocean Island, a very 

 small island m the Auckland Group, goats are numerous at the 

 present time, but I have no details as to how they got there. 



On Adams Island Captain Norman landed six Muscovy 

 ducks. Here, also, sheep were landed in 1891, but none have 

 been seen since 1896. 



As to the efi'ect of the above-mentioned animals on the 

 vegetation of the Auckland Islands, that of the pigs might be 

 expected to have made its mark. Hooker writes (46, p. 32) 

 of Pleuro2)hyllum criniferum " forming the larger proportion 

 of the food of the hogs which now run wild upon the islands 

 of Lord Auckland's Group. It is, indeed, so abundant in the 

 marshy spots on tliese latter islands that these animals fre- 

 quently live entirely amongst it, especially when it grows 

 near the margins of woods, where they form broad tracks or 

 runs through the patches, grubbing up the roots to a great 

 extent, and by trampling down the soft stems and leaves use 

 them as warm and soft forms to litter in." According to 

 Mr. McCormick, who was surgeon on the " Erebus," the pigs 

 fed on Stilbocarpa jjolaris. Tlie rabbits also, confined to two 

 small islands, must have destroyed a considerable amount of 

 vegetation, and have changed to some extent the percentage 

 of the smaller grasses and other herbaceous plants on which 



