500 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



of misapplied enthusiasm. Mr. Euderby went the length of 

 recommending the islands for settlement in preference to the 

 northern part of New Zealand. 



Next morning we visited the head of the harbour, which 

 penetrates some miles into the island, and ends in a thick 

 forest -growth, under a mountain of considerable height. 

 Thence we moved down to Ewing Island, on the eastern side 

 near the entrance. We walked for some hours over this flat 

 island, among fairly-grown rata trees, which occasionally bore 

 bunches of glorious crimson flowers, finding magnificent 

 Olearias on the sea-shore. The shrubs and plants were varied 

 and interesting. Every now and then we stumbled upon 

 huge sea-lions among the tussocks — tame enough when left 

 alone, but certainly awkward customers to fall upon by acci- 

 dent. 



On a flat piece of rocky ground near the ocean I found a 

 remarkable plant, which cannot be identified, as it had neither 

 flower nor fruit. I took it to be an undescribed plantain 

 (Plantago), with very broad foliage, but it has been suggested 

 that it may be a new Pleurophyllum. 



Swimming in the sea, and occasionally sitting on the kelp 

 and rocks about the shore of this island, we found numbers of 

 the rare flightless duck, Nesonetta auchlandica. This bird is 

 very little known, and is not mentioned in the first edition of 

 Sir W. Buller's great book, but is described and beautifully 

 figured in the second. Its habits seem not to be known. We 

 found it swimming in considerable flocks, sometimes of a dozen 

 birds, close to the shore. We saw none out in the open bay. 

 When a shot was fired they did not dive like teal, but merely 

 hastened their s^Deed. They seemed anxious to make for the 

 shore. We saw" them occasionally — often solitary birds — in 

 other parts of this group of islands. This genus is not repre- 

 sented anywhere else. On the point opposite this island there 

 was a large Maori pa when the Enderby settlers arrived. 

 Three hapus of Maoris had come from the Chatham Islands 

 and settled here and in a small pa at Erebus Cove. They 

 were numerous enough to alarm the settlers, but kept the 

 peace, and left when the settlers abandoned the place. 



III. Auckland Islands — West Coast, Southern Paet. 

 The scrutiny of the west coast of these islands is one of the 

 most important parts of the " Hinemoa's " duties. This we 

 were able to perform in a very easy and complete fashion. 

 We steamed out by the same entrance by which we had arrived 

 at Port Eoss, and repassed the masses of timber which repre- 

 sent what was once the good ship " Derry Castle." Binocu- 

 lars were kept going ; they only disclosed numerous sea-lions 

 walking about the sandy beach, and the debris at Derry Castle 



