267 



In its flora Kapiti Island is closely related to the neighbouring 

 mainland of Wellington on the one hand and Marlborough on the 

 other, but at the same time shews certain peculiar characteristics. 

 The island has an area of 4,990 acres and on its western side it is one 

 huge precipice rising to a height of as much as 1,700 feet above 

 the sea. The steep slopes of the eastern side are covered with 

 forest, and at the northern end there is an extensive boulder flat 

 with a small fresh-water lagoon ; there are also numerous rivers. 

 Kapiti has been a famous whaling station and various weeds have, 

 in consequence, been introduced into the island ; moreover the 

 whalers introduced goats, the descendants of which exist in great 

 numbers. Then sheep farming was introduced, and sheep have 

 pastured on the island for about 50 years. Between sheep and 

 goats a great deal of destruction must have been done to native 

 vegetation, and it is to be hoped that these and other introduced 

 animals will be removed in order that the native fauna and 

 flora may be left in undisputed possession of the island. The 

 melancholy history of St. Helena should be a sufficient example 

 of the irreparable destruction which may be caused to an in- 

 digenous flora by the introduction of foreign animals. Foreign 

 weeds, too, appear to have modified the local flora of Kapiti to a 

 considerable extent, but apparently the forest is free from such 

 dangerous intruders as the Blackberry and Elderberry. 



Dr. Cockayne devotes several pages of his report to descriptions 

 of the various plant formations, which are well illustrated by the 

 photographs, and he divides these formations into forest, coastal, 

 shrubbery, meadow and rock. The forest is of the mixed type 

 and in certain respects shows a coastal character ; it is composed 

 of trees of low growth, which, however, possess definite trunks. 

 The Karaka, Corynocarpus laevigata; Mahoe, Melicytus rami' 



florus ; Ngaio, Myop 



/turns; iNgaio, myopovum laetum anatne raaua&u, Myn/op# »* w »m 

 scoparium, largely determine the character of the forest and may be 

 recognised by the characteristic tints of their different greens, which 

 in October are lit up by the white masses of the flowers of the 

 daisy-tree, Olearia Cunmnghamii. The second tier in the forest, 

 if present, usually consists of young trees of the same species as 

 those composing the forest and not of distinct shrubs, which is 

 somewhat unusual ; in places, however, various tree ferns and a 

 few shrubs may be found, chief amongst which are the lawa, 

 Beihchmiedia tawa, and the northern Rata, Metrositfrros robusta. 

 The forest floor is frequently quite bare, a distinction from the 

 New Zealand rain forest, but a* other places, especially where tne 

 covering is less dense, there is a close carpeting of various ferns. 



The leading plants of the forest are dealt with in detail, and the 

 oecological factors and the general distribution of the species are 

 also discussed. 



The shrub formation is characterised by Cassmia leptophylla 

 mixed with Leptospermum samarium (Manaku) and Oleai la 

 Solandri in smaller quantity ; in the more open places various 

 grasses are also to be found. The Manaku heath is one ot t le 

 commonest of the New Zealand formations and might yoffw 

 classed as forest. In Kapiti it is continuous with the forest i an d is 

 jn expression of the more stony nature of the ground and 1 the le*s 

 fertile soil. At the head of a small stream, the Tapeiro, in a vei> 



