TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 215 



ou the north-east side. The rocks are granitic, and the greatest 

 altitude does not exceed dSOft. 



The greatest portion of the island is covered with light and 

 occasionally open bush, never exceeding 30ft. in height : in a 

 few places a dense, scrubby growth of Veronica elliptica, 5ft. to 

 8ft. high, requires some exertion to force one's way through : 

 the difficulty is aggravated by the penguins (Euchjjjtes pachy- 

 rhynchus), which make vicious snaps at the legs while the ex- 

 plorer is held fast by entangled branches above. Usually a 

 belt of open land covered with tussock occurs between the bush 

 and the edge of the cliff, and a few small open patches are found 

 in the central part of the island. In places where patches of 

 bush have been felled by sealers the ground is covered with a 

 dense growth of Veiviiica elliptica intermixed with tussock. 



There is but little fresh water on the island. Two small 

 rills issuing from swampy ground unite before reaching the 

 cliff, but the water is undrinkable, owing to its being polluted 

 by the penguins : and the two or three swamp plants exist 

 under difficulties, being constantly flattened under the broad 

 feet of these birds, which abound everywhere, their numbers 

 being but little reduced by the depredations of the sea-hawks, 

 which swoop down upon unguarded eggs or young birds, and 

 seem almost ready to attack man himself. 



Approaching the island in a boat on a fine morning in 

 January, one is struck at once by the peculiar grey or whitish 

 hue of the foliage, flecked here and there with green. On land- 

 ing this is found to arise from the abundance of Olcaria lyallii, 

 which is the principal tree on the island and forms the greater 

 portion of the bush. When growing in level situations it is 

 erect, with rather open spreading branches ; but when growing 

 on slopes in situations exposed to the wind it is often inclined 

 or with a prostrate trunk, the roots partly torn out of the soil, 

 and the branches rooting at the tips give rise to new trunks, 

 which in their turn are brought to the ground and repeat the 

 process. The short trunks in one or two cases were fully 3ft. 

 in diameter, but the majority were from 1ft. to 2ft., the ex- 

 treme height rarely exceeding 28ft. 



In the description given of this plant in "Flora Antarc- 

 tica"" it was united with 0. colensoi, but in the "Flora 

 Novae- Zelandia3 "i it is treated as a distinct species, although, 

 from insufficient material, the description is necessarily imper- 

 fect. Botanically the two species are closely allied, 0. lyallii 

 differing from 0. colensoi chiefly in the more open habit, stouter 

 branches, broadly-ovate or orbicular-ovate leaves, which are 

 abruptly acuminate, and especially in the involucral leaves 



* Fl. Antarc, ii., p. 543. 

 t Fl. Nov.-Zel., i., p. 116. 



