igO A NEW ZEALAND NATURALIST'S CALENDAR. 



rounded pods are closely pressed. It is not an attractive 

 plant as a ride, except under most favourable conditions, 

 and as at Moeraki it seems to be very commonly attacked 

 by a fungus which distorts and blackens its stems and 

 leaves, it is apt to become rather an eyesore than otherwise. 

 It is quite common to find it growing to a height of four 

 feet or more, especially in the bush, where it forms trouble- 

 some tangles and thickets. The Barley Grass,* a coarse 

 prickly species, with a partiality for the seaside, is another 

 abundant invader, often to the exclusion of more desirable 

 grasses. Three thistles, including the handsome Carduus 

 marianus, which has probably escaped from the garden of 

 some enthusiastic North Briton, and the small pink-flowered 

 C. pycnocephalus, are common. One or two other intro- 

 duced plants which are not yet spread over other parts of 

 Otago here find a congenial home, such as the Hedge 

 Parsley (Caucalis nodosd), which I have not met with in 

 this colony before, and one of the wild cresses (Lepidhun 

 ruderal-e). It was curious to find that the ground between 

 the grassy patches near the sea was at the time of my 

 visit in late Summer everywhere covered with small black 

 spiny pods, suggestive of curled-up caterpillars. These 

 proved to be the seed vessels of the Spotted Medick,+ a 

 species of yellow-flowered clover, which must have covered 

 the ground in Spring-time, and after flowering and fruiting 

 has almost died out for the season, being largely replaced 

 by grasses. Besides this, the common yellow clover 

 (Trifolium procumbens) was abundant and luxuriant. In 

 the remains of bush now found in the reserve it was 

 interesting to notice that wild gooseberries were spreading 

 so thickly as in places to form quite a dense undergrowth. 

 These have originally escaped from gardens, and have been 

 spread by the birds, just as is being done with the elder- 

 berry in the Town Belt of Dunedin. I cannot say whether 

 it was due to the specially damp season or not, but the 

 fruit was in many cases as large and fine as one gets in 

 a garden, and there seemed to be a large quantity of it. I 



* Hordetini munnum. + Medicago maculata. 



