354 Transactions. — Botany. 



Selliera, Samolus, Leptoca^jnis, and other plants that delight 

 in salt-sea spray. In one sheltered little bight a patch of 

 Veronica sj^eciosa was observed — really the only plant of special 

 interest seen in the locality. Descending into a sandy bay on 

 the northern side of the bluff, we passed a moist bank covered 

 with Gunnera arcnaria loaded with ripe fruit. From the 

 abundance of the yellowish-red fleshy spikes it presented quite 

 an ornamental appearance. Further on the slopes leading 

 down to the bay were clothed with Phormium, or with a 

 coppice growth of pohutukaw^a 6ft. to 15ft. in height, the 

 stems growing quite close to one another like tea-tree. Eeach- 

 ing a long low point called Pitokuku, we struck inland over 

 some sandhills to a sheltered camping-ground close to a little 

 tributary of the Werahi Stream. 



Half an hour's walk on the following morning brought us 

 to Cape Maria van Diemen, the extreme north-west point of 

 the colony. The cape itself consists of a small island about 

 250ft. in height, separated from the mainland by a passage 

 perhaps three-quarters of a mile in width. About fifty species 

 of plants, native and introduced, were catalogued on the 

 island. Phormium was the most abundant plant, but Cassinia, 

 MtMenbeckia complexa, Mesemhryantliemum, Arundo, Scirpus 

 nodosus, and other common seaside plants were plentiful. 

 Under the flax-bushes the rare land-shell Bulimus bovinus can 

 be obtained in some numbers, although it has decreased con- 

 siderably since pigs and goats were introduced. Originally it 

 must have existed in immense numbers, for the landward 

 slope of the island is covered with the dead and bleached 

 shells. Immediately opposite to the island, and bearing 

 south-east from it, is a high rocky hill quite 400ft. in height, 

 joined to the mainland by a low strip of drifting sandhills. 

 It is bare and desolate-looking, and has little vegetation on its 

 landward face, except scattered plants of Cassinia, Lepto- 

 spermum, Scirpus nodosus, &c. The cliffs towards the sea are 

 still more barren. Here and there Goprosma haueriana may 

 be seen, flattened and appressed to the rock ; in other places 

 are some straggling pohutukawas, shorn by the wind until 

 their branches barely exceed a foot in height. In crevices of 

 the rock the typical form of Asylenium ohtusaium was not 

 uncommon, accompanied by Lobelia, Samolus, Triticum multi- 

 florum, &c. Desmoschoenus, Spinifex, Festuca littoralis, and 

 Convolvuhis soldanella were the commonest plants on the 

 sand. On the whole, the neighbourhood of Cape Maria van 

 Diemen cannot be said to be attractive. Bare and barren 

 rocks, flanked by high rounded sandhills, make up the dreary 

 landscape ; while seawards there are the miles and miles of 

 savage breakers on the Columbia Eeef, and nearer at hand 

 the incessant roar of the waves on the shore. 



