Cockayne. — Begrotvth of Burnt Forest. 413 



On the opposite — north — side of the Eiver Otira the fire 

 spread to the grass-meadow-Hne. Here is only one small 

 patch of scrub to indicate the former vegetation, and this is of 

 the usual mixed description common to high levels in West- 

 land, and described in Section D. Veronica suhalpina and 

 Cassinia vaimillicrsii are rapidly occupying the burnt ground, 

 especially the former species. Of this portion I can give no 

 detailed account, not having had opportunity to examine it 

 carefully. 



Section F includes the slopes of Mount Eolleston (West- 

 land), on the left bank of the Eiver Otira, near the junction 

 with Peg-leg Creek, and stretches south and west to Sec- 

 tion E. It was here that the fire originated. Only the 

 living scrub was examined carefully, the state of the Eiver 

 Otira not allowing the slopes on Mount Eolleston to be ex- 

 amined. There the chief plant seemed to be Dracophyllum 

 longifolium. My notes say, "The scrub is being reproduced, 

 but not, so far as I could see, to any great extent." The 

 constituents of the former scrub are identical with the list in 

 the next section. 



Section G comprises Peg-leg Flat and all the adjacent 

 slopes of Hill's Peak, as far as the slope opposite to Lake 

 Misery. This was burnt by the first fire, the date of which 

 I am unable to furnish ; nor do I know whether the whole 

 of this section was burnt at the same time. The evidence 

 of the standing stumps and the state of the reproduced plants 

 seems to point to more than one fire. It is also possible 

 that in more than one place the Midland Eailway fire may 

 have reburnt some of this, or some may have been fired 

 separately at or after that time. Be this as it may, an excel- 

 lent example is shown of what takes place on the burnt 

 ground after a considerable number of years have elapsed. 



Commencing at Peg-leg Flat is the living remains of a 

 scrub burnt perhaps twenty years ago. This is more correctly 

 designated low forest than subalpine scrub, and contains, as 

 did all the original scrub of this section and Section F, in 

 addition to most of the plants already treated of, various 

 members of the forest at a lower level, and which here exist 

 at their highest altitudinal limit. 



'o^ 



List of Shrubs forming Low Forest, near Peg-leg 

 Creek (in order of abundance). 

 Dracophyllum traversii, Hook. f. ; in large quantity. 

 . Gaya lyallii, Jack, and Hook. ; in large quantity. 

 Olearia illicifolia, Hook. f. ; nearly as abundant. 

 Panax colemoi. Hook. f. ; plentiful. 

 Dacrydiiim colensoi, Hook. f. ; plentiful. 



