364 Transactions. — Botany. 



shore of the promoutory. One or two of the gullies contained 

 small patches of bush, composed of common species, so far as 

 we had time to examine them, and on the hills the dreary 

 vegetation of Schoenus tenax again appeared. No change of 

 importance took place until the southern side of the Waikuku 

 Mat was reached. 



Leaving the neighbourhood of the North Cape, and tra- 

 velling southwards along the eastern coast, we reached Wha- 

 rekau, finding Ipomoea and FucJisia procumbens plentiful along 

 the beach, while Hibiscus trionum was abundant on the sides 

 of the hills, growing among the short Le2)tospermum. Passing 

 "Whareama, where there are some small patches of forest 

 sheltering caves said to be former burial-places of the Aopuri, 

 we slowly made our way along the coast, finding the vegeta- 

 tion scanty and uninteresting. We passed Maukin's Nook, 

 Mokaikai, and Otuo, and, striking inland from the last- 

 mentioned place, a walk of three or four miles brought us to 

 the Maori settlement at the north head of Parengarenga 

 Harbour. This virtually brought our explorations to a close, 

 and on the following day we took our dejparture by the little 

 steamer " Staffa " for Mangonui and Auckland. 



The subjoined catalogue of the flowering-plants and ferns 

 observed in the district contains the names of 416 species. 

 This is a small number for so large an area; and, although it 

 will be increased by future explorers, yet tliere can be qo 

 doubt that the flora is a poor one. The sameness of the 

 physical conditions is in some measure responsible for this, 

 and the almost total absence of forest is another powerful 

 reason. In a hilly and forest-clad district many plants 

 flourish that have no chance of existence on the bare hill- 

 sides and open gullies of the North Cape peninsula. But the 

 flora is poor, not only as regards the total number of species, 

 but also from the point of view of its general aspect. Almost 

 everywhere the landscape has an arid and sterile appearance. 

 On the open hillsides the vegetation is low and stunted, 

 uniform in character over large areas, and monotonous and 

 depressing to a degree. The long stretches of sand-dunes, 

 either altogether bare or thinly clothed with their peculiar 

 vegetation — a vegetation which is specially remarkable for its 

 poverty and persistence over wide areas — add greatly to the 

 general appearance of sterility. And the few patches of bush 

 are poor representatives of the magnificent forests which 

 stretch from Hokianga southwards. The trees are small, of 

 few kinds, and we nowhere find the deep and densely-shaded 

 fern gullies with their wealth of varied and luxuriant foliage. 

 In short, any idea that the flora of the extreme north pos- 

 sesses increased luxuriance, due to its more northerly situa- 

 tion and warmer climate, may be dismissed at once, for in 



