352 Transactions. — Botany. 



Mr. McKay's report. A passing allusion may be made to one 

 featm'c, especially as it is sure to attract the notice of all 

 visitors. In many places along the shores of the harbour, 

 and particularly at the junction of the various branches, are 

 extensive flats, elevated from 10ft. to 15ft. above high-water 

 mark, and composed of estuarine deposits. They contain 

 numerous fossils of species still living in the locality, and are 

 covered with a thin stratum of peaty soil, in which kauri gum 

 and the remains of kauri-trees are embedded. The size and 

 number of these flats, their even surface, and the fact that in 

 all parts of the harbour they maintain the same height above 

 high -water mark render them a very conspicuous feature. 

 Their significance is obvious : they prove the existence of a 

 period of depression, followed by one of considerable eleva- 

 tion. 



We remained a day and a half at Te Paua, waiting the 

 arrival of the little steamer " Staffa" with a further supply of 

 drying-paper. During this time short excursions were made 

 to several points on the shore of the harbour. The most note- 

 worthy plant collected was Drosera -pygmcea, which was plenti- 

 ful on the low peaty flat stretching from Te Paua towards 

 the entrance of the harbour. It was first collected by Mr. 

 Colenso in 1839, "in marshes near Cape Maria van Diemen," 

 according to the Handbook ; but Mr. Colenso informs me that 

 he fancies his specimens were really obtained near Ahipara. 

 It was not seen again until 1877, when Mr. Kirk collected it 

 on the Bluff Hill, in Southland. These two stations, at the 

 two extremes of the colony, have been the only ones recorded 

 until now. Its distribution appears to be most anomalous ; 

 but it is so easily overlooked that it may be expected to occur 

 in intermediate localities. 



Having obtained our drying-paper, we left Te Paua about 

 noon, intending to ford the Ngatikorangi branch of the har- 

 bour and then proceed by way of Te Paki Station to Cape 

 Maria van Diemen. On reaching the ford, however, we found 

 the tide too high to admit of our pack-horse crossing without 

 endangering the collections, and we consequently turned to 

 the south-west, intending to head the creek and then proceed 

 direct to the western coast. After travelling for some hours 

 over open kauri - gum land, we crossed a stream called 

 Whakatiriohau, chiefly remarkable for the immense masses 

 of Glcichenia flahellata growing along its sides. Passing 

 over some hills largely covered with Pomaderris edgerleyi and 

 Eimcris pauciflora, we at length reached the Ngatikorangi 

 near its source. Here the consolidated sandhills contamed 

 numerous funnel-shaped holes from 12ft. to 15ft. in depth, 

 their sides covered with a profusion of Gleichenia flahellata, 

 Todea barbara, and Doodia media. Proceeding a mile or two 



