A VALLEY OF TREE-FERNS 55 



these were uninjured, and, as I afterwards found, 

 none of the plates had suffered in any way, 

 although the camera-case was full of dust. 



After this the way became a little easier. The 

 bed of the valley was dry, but it had evidently 

 been hollowed out by water, for the rocks showed 

 considerable wear from trickling water. Possibly 

 it is only in the rainy season that there is any 

 water in this valley, for at the time of our visit 

 the rocks were covered with a thick tangle of grass. 

 Amongst the grass and climbing over some of the 

 fallen trees, a few of which were to be seen in this 

 valley, was a species of climbing bean. This bean 

 was in flower and is doubtless the same as that 

 mentioned by Mr. Knight as growing thickly on 

 the windward side of the island. 



Mention may here be made of some mice which 

 we saw in considerable numbers both in this 

 and in the " Cascade " valley to what species 

 they belonged we were unable to determine. 

 They were small and of a greyish colour. We 

 both thought that they looked like a small vole, 

 but they were extremely quick in their movements, 

 and the grass was so thick and high that we were 

 unable to shoot any specimens. 



The sides of this valley were thickly grown 

 with tree-ferns, and to these we now turned our 

 attention. The ferns were from twelve to twenty- 

 five feet in height. Their stems were quite bare, 

 but at the top a number of fern-like fronds grew 



F2 



