ESTUARY OF THE KERI-KERI. 91 



Much rain had latel}^ fallen^ and many of the 

 paths Avere partially converted into water- courses. 

 I walked across to a neig-hbouring- bay^ and employed 

 myself in searching- for shells in the mud at low 

 water. Some bivalves^ common there — various Cy- 

 tliereoi and Mesodesma C%e7n7iitzii~ constitute an 

 important article of food to the natives^ who knew 

 them by the name o^ pipi. A marshy place, at the 

 mouth of a small stream, was tenanted b}^ a curious 

 wrinkled univalve, A\ith a notch on the outer lip, 

 Ampldhola avellana of conchologists. 



May 18fh. — I joined a party made up to visit the 

 falls of the Keri-Keri river, and we started, after an 

 early breakfast, in one of the ship's boats. The 

 morning' was dull and rainy, and we had occasional 

 showers during- the forenoon. In an hour after 

 leaving" the ship we entered the estuary of the river, 

 a larg-e arm of the sea, which we followed for several 

 miles. The scenery reminded me of that of some of 

 the sea lochs on the west coast of Scotland, and al- 

 thoug-h fern was here substituted for heath, the 

 " Scotch mist" was perfect!}" represented at the an- 

 tipodes. The country is scantily wooded, and the 

 muddy shores are occasional^ fringed with a small 

 mangrove (Aviceiiuia tomentosa). Here and there 

 were a few settlers' houses, with the accompanying- 

 sig-ns of cultivation. One of the small islands, and 

 also a hill top on the northern shore, had an artificial 

 appearance, their summits being- levelled and the 



