314 l^ransactioiis. 



properly commences ; but it must be poijited out tliat thi^ limit 

 is at best but a very artificial one. Notwithstantling the above, 

 it is a convenient and quite legitimate plan to discuss ths vege- 

 tation of either Island as a whole, and the method of treatment 

 here adopted can, with the above explanation, lead to no mis- 

 conception. 



Regarding the term " coastal vegetation," it is not genecall}' 

 feasible to set any hard-and-fast limit as to its boundaries. 

 Generally spealdng, it is confined to quite a narrow zone, follow- 

 ing the coast-line, and determined, amongst other things, by 

 the salt in the soil, the average distance sea-spray may blow 

 inland, and the configuration of the land. In some places there 

 are distinct traces of ancient shores, and such may contain in 

 large part maritime plants, but unless thes? are in fairly close 

 proximity to the sea they will not be specially dealt with. 



As some of the notes, &c., made use of in the preparation of 

 this paper were taken during several voyages in the Govern- 

 ment steamer " Hinemoa," I thank most sincerely the Hon. W. 

 Hall-Jones, M.H.R. (at that time Minister of Marine), for the 

 opportunities thus afEorded of visiting some little-known places 

 on the coast and many of the adjacent small islands. To Cap- 

 tain J. Bollons, who assisted me in every way possible to carry 

 on my work, my most hearty thanks are due. I must also ex- 

 press'my gratitude to Messrs. F. G. Gibbs, M.A., D. Petrie, M.A., 

 H. J. Matthews, J. Crosby-Smith, and T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., 

 who have furnished me with much valuable information, and 

 in other ways materially assist xl this work. 



2. Physiography and Climate. 

 The extensive coast-line of the South Island, facing the 

 actual ocean for some 4,845 km., and extendijig in many places 

 far inland, af[ords, as may well be supposed, a very considerable 

 diversity of stations for plant-life, with the consequence that a 

 by no means uiiiform plant covering clothes the shore and its 

 environs. This absence of uniformity, far greater than might 

 have been expected from differences of latitude, is in large part 

 due to the fact that, thanks to the position of the Soiithern Alps, 

 a quite different climate occurs, generally speaking, in the east 

 than in the west, south, and many parts of the north. In fact, 

 to mention two extremes, the west has an average rainfall of 

 more than 253 cm., the extreme south-west corner having, in- 



and from this latter parallel to the southern extremity of Stewart Island 

 is the " southern ])rovince." Lat. 42° is, however, only a boundary so 

 far as the vegetation near the coast is concerned ; inland the southern 

 jjrovince reaches much further north. 



