44 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



conception of these plants from the small, stunted 

 specimens to be seen in our hothouses. It is not until 

 one comes upon a forest of them that their grace and 

 delicacy can be appreciated, One could almost fancy 

 himself living at the time when our coal measures 

 were laid down, in a carboniferous swamp such as are 

 represented in our geologies. 



I wandered about during the morning over a large 

 part of the island, making sketches, and admiring 

 every new object that came in my way. I filled my 

 handkerchief with specimens of a squeaking green in- 

 sect about an inch and a half long, called a cicada, and 

 gathered a large bunch of many varieties of ferns, which 

 everywhere carpeted the ground. On coming back, I 

 met a party of my companions in quarantine, who told 

 me that dinner was over, and that, if I wanted anything 

 to eat, I must bribe the Chinaman cook. On the way 

 I heard for the first time the English lark, which had 

 been introduced into New Zealand! He is a beautiful 

 singer, and, when so high as to be almost invisible,, 

 pours forth his sweet song. In the afternoon I took a 

 bath in one of the tide-pools in the solid rock. Excel- 

 lent bathing-pools they make, for the water in them 

 was very warm from the sun's heat, and was quite a 

 contrast to our seashore bathing at home, where one 

 feels as if immersed in ice-water. 



The amount of animal life contained in a single pool 

 is enormous ; for one can stand on the brink, and see 



