Cheeseman. — On the Flora of the Kermadec Islands. 163 



breeding on outlying islands, it would be an easy matter for 

 seeds adhering to the feathers, or included in earth attached to 

 the feet, to be conveyed across wide spaces of ocean. 



In concluding my remarks on the flora, I may be allowed to 

 repeat my conviction that its nature and composition, its relation- 

 ship to that of New Zealand and Polynesia, and its peculiarities 

 generally, are best explained on the supposition that the islands 

 have been slowly stocked with their plants by chance migrations 

 across the ocean. 



My visit to the islands was so brief, and so much time was 

 lost by exceptionally stormy weather, that little systematic work 

 could be accomplished with the fauna. The following notes are 

 based on observations made at odd moments, while engaged in 

 examining the vegetation. 



Mammals. — The only mammal that possesses any claim to be 

 indigenous is a rat, and of this I was unfortunately unable to 

 obtain a specimen. Mr. Bell informed me that it is abundant in 

 the summer months, but uniformly disappears in the winter, in 

 his opinion to hibernate. At the time of my visit I supposed 

 that it had been introduced by some of the early settlers, but 

 since my return I find that Lieut. Watts, in his account of the 

 first discovery of the group in 1788, says that " a great number 

 of rats and mice were seen on Macaulay Island." This would 

 seem to prove that the species, whatever it may be, is truly 

 indigenous. It is somewhat singular that there is no bat. 

 Norfolk Island has a peculiar species ; but Mr. Bell was positive 

 that none exists on Sunday Island. 



Birds. — The following species were collected or observed 

 in the group, with the exception of one or two, specified in 

 the list, which are inserted on the authority of Mr. Bell : — 



1. Common Hawk (Circus gouldi). Not uncommon on Sun- 

 day Island and Macaulay Island. 



2. Kingfisher (Halcyon vagans). Sunday Island ; plentiful. 



3. Tui (Prosthemadera nova-zealandia). The commonest bird 

 on Sunday Island. Its note differs slightly from that of its 

 New Zealand relatives, but the plumage is precisely the same. 



4. White-eye (Zosterops lateralis). Seen on both Sunday and 

 Macaulay Islands, but not plentiful. 



5. Lark (Anthus nova-zealandia). Two or three specimens 

 noticed on Macaulay Island. 



6. Bed-fronted Parrakeet (Platycercus nova-zealandia). Mr. 

 Bell stated that this formerly existed on Sunday Island, but had 

 been exterminated by the wild cats. On Meyer Island, an out- 

 lying rock off the coast of Sunday Island, it is still plentiful. On 

 Macaulay Island it is in great numbers, going about in flocks 



