412 



clear of the burnt part. The forest hereabouts is chiefly composed 

 of Beech, Fagus fusca being predominant and of enormous size. 

 The other forest trees were Dacrydium cupressinum (Rima), 

 Pudocarpus dacrydioides, white pine, P. spicatus (Matai), P. fer- 

 rugineus (Miro), while the smaller trees were represented by 

 Garpodetus serratus, Fuchsia Colensoi, Hedycarya arborea. Avis- 

 totelia racemosa, while on a limestone crag grew Metrosideros 

 lucida. Among the smaller shrubs and underscrub I noticed 



Dn'mys color ata^vfiVa its beautiful green, yellow and red-coloured 

 foliage, Br achy glottis repanda, and, along the streams, Senecio 

 Hectori, which was in full flower and very lovely — it is one of 

 the best of the New Zealand Senecios — while tree ferns and other 

 ferns were fairly plentiful. At about 3000 ft. I noticed scarlet 

 patches on the Fagus, and these turned out to be the scarlet- 

 flowered mistletoe (LoranthuH), a lovely sight, which as we got 

 higher became more frequent and perfectly gorgeous. At about 

 4000 ft. the beech became smaller, and the forest became of a 

 more scrubby nature. Fagus Menziesii became the predominant 

 beech, and I met for the "first time Dracophyllum Traversii, a 

 magnificent tree, 15 to 20 ft. in height, with a lovely red stem and 

 foliage like that of Gordyline ; its branches spread upwards from 

 the main stem in most beautiful curves like an ever-branching 

 candelabrum, and it was in full flower. 



I also 



among 



them 



'foli 



•macrophylla, Phyllocladus alpinus, Astelia nervosa, Pratia angu- 



lata, Pentachondra pumila, Senecio gemrninatus, and S. BidwiUtu 



An ascent of about 500 ft. more brought us out of the forest, and 

 immediately the Celmisias appeared, and so various were they that 

 one did not know which one to turn to first ; they were in full 

 flower and very lovely. Here the chief varieties were G. incana 

 and (7. Dallii, and while advancing up the open slopes of the 

 mountain different species of Veronica, Aciphylla Colensoi and 

 A. squarrosa were at once apparent. The rain which bad been 

 threatening for some time now came on, and the whole mountain 



miB 



steps, as a night out would have been exceedingly unpleasant, so 



we arrived 



my feet were 



we urnveu Dack at tne farm about b p.m., ana my ieei- 

 not sorry to get in even if I was reluctant to leave the flowers 



We found the track had been cleared of the fallen logs, and next 

 morning we set off at daylight with the pack-horses up the track 

 again, passed the turning'to Mount Arthur to our left, and headed 

 for the Cobb Valley by a bridle track ; on the way I got seed ol 

 Olearia lacimosa, and saw some fine specimens of Todea mperba. 

 The whole way lay through the beech forest, which was very lovely, 

 but the tramp was rather tedious, being up and down rather violent 

 bills all the way. At last, about 4 p.m., we came out into an open 

 glade covered with Celmisias, and the beech trees all aglow with tne 

 scarlet-flowered mistletoe; it was a magnificent sight, and brighter 

 by far than any Metrosideros. This glade led us down into tiie 

 open Cobb Valley, and after going up it some three miles we came 

 to a hiiBhrnan's hut, where we stayed the night. I preferred tne 

 ground to the boards of the hut, and slept outside and very 

 soundly. The chief plants other than those already mentioned 



