PoppELWELL. — Botariy of Ruggedy Mountains. 279 



North of the high Rixggedy Range there is strong physical evidence 

 that, like the strait which apparently once ran from Mason's Bay to Pater- 

 Bon's Inlet, another strait ran from the Ruggedy River through the Fresh- 

 water Valley to Paterson's Inlet, and probably another opening to the 

 gea existed between the latter strait and the West Ruggedy beach, the 

 southern boundary of which would be slightly north of Red Head. Evi- 

 dence of this is furnished by the low country (not more than 150 ft.) lying 

 between the various points mentioned, and by the fact that such Ioav 

 country consists almost entirely of ancient dimes. Stewart Island, ap- 

 parently, therefore, once consisted of at least five islands — namelv, 

 (1) Moimt Anglem Island ; (2) that portion now constituting the high 

 land at the Rugged Islands ; (3) Ruggedy Range Island ; (4) Mount 

 Rakiahua; and (5) the high southern part of the island. (On this subject, 

 see also Cockayne's Stewart Island report, p. 7.*) 



Speaking generally, the rocks of Stewart Island are granitic. The 

 Rugged Islands and the Ruggedy Mountains are apparently composed of 

 a harder Substance than most of the other parts, as they stand up in 

 great cliffs and jagged peaks of weather-worn rock, serrated on the top. 

 and capped here and there with weird-looking minarets and towers. 



Dr. Mai-shall, in one of his papers, says that at Ruggedy Point there is 

 " a large instruaive mass of granophyre whose resistant nature causes it 

 to form outstanding rugged pinnacles and cliffs. "t 



What is true of Ruggedy Point is also true of the whole of the Ruggedy 

 Range, which is not only identical in structure with the Ruggedy Islands, 

 but is also worn in the same extraordinary manner. Here and there 

 running through the granite are seams of quartz, and the rise and dip of 

 the grain of the rocks shows great movement in parts, whatever may have 

 been the determining cause. 



General Ecology. 



As this has been fully dealt with by Dr. Cockayne in his Stewart Island 

 report, I only mention it here to say that his remarks on the subject apply 

 equally to the portions visited by me as to the other parts of the island. 

 The principal factor regulating the plant-life is that of wind, although, of 

 course, soil-conditions have their due effect. 



The Plant-life. 

 In order to make these notes more intelligible, I propose to treat 

 the plant-life under the various heads of — (1) Rocks and cliffs, (2) dimes. 

 (3) mountain meadow, (4) forest, (5) bogs and Swamps. 



(1.) ROCKS AND CLIFFS. 



In dealing with the rock and cliff vegetation it is necessary to dis- 

 tinguish between (a) coastal rocks and cliffs — i.e., those swept with the 

 sea-apray — and (&) rocks situated at a higher elevation or at a distance 

 from the coast. 



(a.) Coastal Rocks and Cliffs. 



Practically the whole coast of Stewart Island is rocky, although here 

 and there long stretches of sandy beach are found. The north-west coast 



♦"Report on a Botanical Survey of Stewart Island," Parliamentary paper C-12. 

 1909. 



t" Geological Notes on South-west of Otago," Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 39.- 1907. 

 p. 498. 



