210 Transaction*. 



times as much as 15 ft. above the surrounding country, enabhng a compre- 

 hensive view of it to be obtained from their summits. There are no mono- 

 liths or disproportionately sized boulders on the beaches, with a few 

 unimportant exceptions. Plate XIV, fig. 1 , shows a few large boulders have 

 rolled, perhaps comparatively recently, on or near beach No. 5. These mono- 

 liths are often very much undercut, and present the appearance of having 

 rolled into the positions they now occupy, rather than of having been 

 weathered into their present shape by wave-action. Where the sea broke 

 at the tide-limits a shingle beach would form ; above and below the tide- 

 limits less weathering would occur. Sudden elevation would remove an 

 area beyond reach of the waves, and as this was repeated the alternation 

 of shingle and boulder is thus accounted for. Possibly the original relation 

 of shore to sea-floor was that of a perpendicular or overhanging cliff with 

 the floor projected at an obtuse angle from the base of it. Successive 

 movements of the earth might dislodge much of the cliff-material, and 

 build up a submarine platform. One would like to find some explanation 

 for the fact that these rolled monoliths occur such a distance from the base 

 of the present cliffs. It is not easy to see how faulting at the base of the 

 cliffs can have been a factor in the uplift, as this would have to take place 

 in a semicircular sweep round the cape, and there is plenty of evidence of 

 recent dislodgment of large masses of rock from the hillside. Earthquakes 

 may have played a considerable part in loosening large masses of rock. 

 One rolled monolith examined was roughly cubical in shape, and its side 

 measured 15 ft., its estimated weight being 250 tons. 



The age of these beaches is a most fascinating theme to speculate upon. 

 The fresh appearance of the shingle makes it hard to realize that centuries 

 must have elapsed since they were removed beyond the reach of the tide 

 Mr. Elsdon Best informs me of a Maori tradition which relates that the 

 Miramar Peninsula, previously an island, was elevated about four hundred 

 years ago to its present position, which is evidence, of a kind, of coast- 

 elevation within historic times, prior to 1855. (See also Cotton, p. 245 ( f this 

 volume.) 



If the geological features of this area are intensely interesting, the 

 botanical features are even more so. Within a few hundred yards may 

 be found the plants of the arid rock-faces, the fresh-water swamps and 

 ponds, the sea littoral, the grass meadows, and the forest. 



Starting from the sea-shore a little above high-water mark, in a situation 

 well moistened by sea-spray are found the usual halophytic plants, Salieornia 

 australis Sol., Samolus rcpens Pers., Triglochin striatum var. filifolium Buch., 

 Apium prostratum Labill., Selliera radicans Cav., Scirpus nodosus Rottb., 

 Gar ex ternaria Forst., J uncus effusus Linn. These are growing between 

 boulders 3 ft. to 4 ft. in diameter, which formation occupies some 10 or 

 20 yards until the shingle of beach No. 1 is reached. On this grow the 

 beautiful Glaucium flavum Crantz (naturalized), Senecio lautus Forst., Apium 

 prostratum Labill., Poa anceps Forst., Calystcgia soldandla R. Br., and the 

 naturalized Picris echioides Linn, and Plantago lanceolata Linn. 



Now comes a stretch of big boulders and monoliths, amongst which 

 are growing in very wet or very dry stations the following : Leptocarpus 

 simplex A. Rich., Mariscus ustulatus Clarke, Phormium Cookianum Le Jobs, 

 Selliera radicans Cav., Raoulia australis Hook, f., Muehlenbech'a complexa 

 Meissn., Olearia Solandri Hook, f., Cassinia leptophylla R. Br., Plagianthus 

 divaricatus Forst., Hymenanthera crassifolia Hook, f., Arundo conspicua 

 Forst., Euphorbia glauca Forst., Clematis Colcnsoi Hook f., Epilobium 



