Oliver. — Vegetation of the Kermadec Islands. 157 



The following plants have berries or other succulent fruits, and some 

 of them the tui has been observed to eat :^ 



Mclicijtus rafniflorus, Ascarina lanccolata, 



Rapanea kermadecensis, Sccevola gracilis, 



Myoforum Icetum, Rhopalostylis Baueri, 



Coprosma petiolata, Corynocarpus Icevigata. 

 C. acutifolia, 



The experiment was tried of floating fruits of the above plants in sea- 

 water, but with most disappointing results : some of the fruits sank im- 

 mediately, and none floated for more than a few days. 



The harrier {Circus goiddi) is a regular annual visitor to Sunday Island, 

 and a few grey ducks (Anas superciliosa) were seen at different times. These 

 birds are possibly the means of carrying small seeds to the islands. 



VIII. List of Indigenous Pteridophytes and Spermophytes. 



Hymenophyllace^. 



Trichomanes venosum, R. Br. 



Epiphyte in wet forest, Sunday Island. 

 New Zealand, Australia. 



Trichomanes humile, Forst. f. 



Damp banks and fallen Cyathea trunks in wet forest, Sunday Island. 

 Norfolk Island, New Zealand, Australia, Polynesia, Malaya. 



Hymenophyllum demissum (Forst. f.), Sw. 



Epiphyte and on ground in wet forest, rare in dry forest, Sunday Island. 

 New Zealand, Polynesia, Malaya. 



Hymenophyllum flabellatum, Lab. 



Epiphyte in wet forest, Sunday Island. 



Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, AustraUa, Samoa. 



Cyatheace^. 

 Cyathea Milnei, Hook. 



Hitherto only one species of Cyathea has been recognised from Sunday 

 Island. Previous collectors gathered fronds of this, which, though not so 

 tall, is far less abundant than the following species, and in references to 

 C. Milnei both species have been confused. Thus the statement made by 

 Mr. Cheeseman (1 ; p. 154) — " A fine tree-fern {Cyathea Milnei) which is 

 pecuhar to the islands is also very plentiful, especially towards the tops 

 of the hills, and in all the ravines. It is often 50 or 60 feet in height, and 

 is thus quite equal in stature to our Cyathea meduUaris, which it much 

 resembles " — is wholly true of Cyathea kermadecensis, but entirely inap- 

 pUcable to C. Milnei. A full description of the latter species will therefore 

 be given here. 



Trunk stout, short, 2-8 m. tall ; rough with the broken-off bases of old 

 stipes, and clothed at the top with hanging withered fronds ; base of aerial 

 rootlets conical, 50-80 cm. in diameter. 



Fronds numerous, horizontally spreading, 2-5-4 m. long, 1-2 m. broad, 

 coriaceous, upper surface hard and shining, dark green, paler beneath. 

 Stipes stout, clothed at the base with copious linear brown scales ; under- 



