412 



Transactions. — Botany. 



Art. XXXIII. — Notes on the Ocairrence of Kauri-gum in the 

 Eahikatea Forest at Turua. 



By L. J. Bagnall. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 5th October, 1896.'] 



Kauri-gum is so intimately associated with kauri forests, or 

 •open lands where kauri forests must have once existed, that 

 to find it in one of the oldest existing kahikatea forests seems 

 to me worthy of being placed upon record. 



The Turua Forest lies between the Waihou and Piako 

 Eivers, and consists chiefly of kahikatea. A few trees of rimu 

 and matai are occasionally met with, and two or three young 

 kauri-trees, measuring about 30in. in diameter, have been 

 found. The kahikatea-trees are generally large, some of them 

 attaining to 8ft. in diameter, while many measure from 4ft. to 

 6ft. Captain Cook, who mentions this forest, found kahi- 

 katea-trees 19ft. Sin. in circumference, measured 6ft. from the 

 ground. One, which I believe was measured by him in 1777, 

 and which now girths 23ft., has been preserved. 



During the very dry summer of 1890 a fire ran through the 

 old bush-workings, as well as a portion of the adjoining land, 

 on which manuka, toetoe, and harakeke were growing. In 

 order to take advantage of the burn, some drains were cut 

 through the burnt country, and while digging the drains the 

 contractor came upon several patches of kauri-gum. This led 



