380 Transactions. 



1. Climate. — All the islands seem to resemble one another 

 very closely in respect of climate. First of all, Hooker notices, 

 in his " Flora Antarctica " (vol. i, xi), " that the vast proportion 

 which the water bears to the land tends to render the tempera- 

 ture more uniform throughout the year — the further south the 

 position the more equable the climate seems to be. . . The 

 power of the sun is seldom felt, and, unless in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of land and accompanied by a comparatively dry 

 wind, that luminary only draws up such mists and fogs as 

 intercept its rays. . . . All the islands to the south of 45° 

 partake more or less of this inhospitable climate, which, though 

 eminently unfavourable to a varied growth of plants, still, from 

 its equable nature, causes a degree of luxuriance to pervade all 

 the vegetable kingdom, such as is never seen in climates where 

 the vegetative functions are suspended for a large portion of the 

 year."* 



The climate of the Auckland Islands, he says, is " rainy 

 and very stormy " (p. 2). Dr. Cockayne sums up the features 

 with regard to the climate of the Auckland Islands as follows : 

 ; ' (1) There are a great number of rainy days ; (2) the moisture, 

 which can easily permeate the peaty soil, will not readily evapo- 

 rate owing to the almost constant cloudy skies, these also tending 

 to keep the air full of moisture ; (3) there are very frequent 

 winds, sometimes of great violence, accompanied by rain or 

 sleet ; (4) the winter climate is extremely mild— much milder, 

 indeed, than that of certain parts of the South Island of New 

 Zealand at sea-level, as, e.g., the Canterbury Plains " (pp. 235-6). 



The climate of Campbell Island is very similar : " There is 

 the same lack of sunshine and similar frequent gales accom- 

 panied by driving rain and sleet, especially in spring and autumn. 

 . . . Sunshine is most frequent during the summer months. 

 . . . The snowfall at sea-level is very slight . . . comes 

 in blasts from the south-west, while these gales are frequently 

 accompanied by hail. ... In the ' subalpine region ' the 

 frost is much stronger . . . there was no general covering 

 of snow . . . such frosts . . . subject these plants to 

 comparatively severe conditions " (p. 268). Here are found, 

 amongst other plants, Coprosma repens, Epilobium confertifo- 

 lium, Phyllachne clavigera. 



" As for rain, really heavy rain is not very frequent ; usually 

 it is a fine drizzle. In short, there must be a great number of 

 rainy days, but no excessive annual rainfall " (p. 269). 



" With regard to the climate of the Antipodes Island, I 

 should imagine that it is very similar to that of the other South- 



* Hooker (1841), " Summary of the Voyage," vol. i, xi. 



