Cockayne. — Botanical Excursion to Southern Islands. 303 



they may feed. As for the cattle, Captain Bollons considers 

 that they have ah'eady brought about considerable changes in 

 the swampy ground of Enderby Island by consohdatiug it ; 

 and in deahng with the sand-dunes I have shown how these 

 animals have ah'eady changed stable into unstable dunes, in 

 which work the rabbits also may play some part. 



At the time of the Enderby Settlement, as before pointed 

 out, a considerable piece of the forest in the north of Auck- 

 land Island was cleared. This cleared ground is now com- 

 pletely reoccupied by a new formation diff'ermg in some 

 important characters from the original rata forest. This 

 new formation consists of a dense growth of evergreen 

 shrubs, and with these is mixed a considerable pei'centage 

 of Phormium tenax. This latter plant is not indigenous 

 to the group, ""' it having been introduced by the sealers, 

 who made use of the leaves for making sandals in which 

 to chase the fur-seals over the extremely slippery rocks. 

 That Phormium tenax, a most characteristic New Zealand 

 plant, should be on the increase, and more than holding its 

 own with the secondary arborescent growth, is a matter of 

 interest distinctly bearing on the question of former land- 

 connection with New Zealand proper ; but it must be borne 

 in mind that such secondary growth as that under consi- 

 deration is the result of changes brought about by man, and 

 the spread of Phormium under such circumstances is no proof 

 that it would increase if introduced into a primitive formation. 

 The new formation consists of Metrosideros lucida, Panax 

 simplex, Coprosma foetidissima, Dracophyllum longifolittm, and 

 Phormium tenax, the whole forming a most beautiful natural 

 shrubbery of various hues of green. Unfortunately, there w'as 

 no time to examine the undergrowth, or to take notes as to 

 the relative quantity of the various components. 



Eegarding the introduced plants of the Auckland Group I 

 can say but Httle. So far as I could judge at a season most 

 unfavourable for such investigations, the vegetation of the 

 flat ground between the sand-dunes and the forest on 

 Enderby Island is largely modified, and contains a number 

 of introduced grasses and other plants growing mixed with 

 some of the more lowly indigenous herbs. It would be in 

 this locality that the goats and rabbits which took so kindly 

 to the English grass were landed in 1865 by Captain Norman. 

 During this last-named expedition certain exotic plants were 

 planted in various localities. Thus, oak, ash, and pine trees 



* Mr. W. Joss tells me that lie remembers when there were only 

 three plants of P. tenax in this locality. On the occasion of our visit he 

 landed at this spot purposely to gather some Phonniinn leaves, remember- 

 ing well that the plants were there, although he had not been to the 

 group for many years. 



