132 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



undergrowth. Over the countless green mosaics of the living 

 tranches, with their two-ranked twigs and leaves, the evening 

 sunshine passes, and stirs into activity all the life within, 

 at the same time throwing into relief the infinite detail of 

 tracery and arabesque in bough and bole, The bearded lichens 

 trailing from the branches are almost motionless, though the 

 wind thunders overhead. One side of the valley is in the 

 dimmest twilight, whilst on the other every shoot flares out in 

 almost garish distinctness. The contrast is a violent one ; but 

 it is soon gone, and only the rosy colours of the clouds above 

 remain to break the darkness. With sunset the north-wester 

 always lulls for a short time, and then its roar gives place 

 to the coo-ee of the weka and the melancholy cry of the owl. 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEW ZEALAND SPECIES. 



The genus Nothofagus has some half-dozen representatives 

 in New Zealand, all forest trees known to bushmen as "birch," 

 but more correctly termed beech. It is now futile to hope that 

 the more exact name will become popular ; but we might at least 

 expect some consistent nomenclature to be adopted through 

 the islands. At present the various species are designated 

 almost indifferently, white, red, black, silver birch, etc. What 

 is the white birch in one part of the country may be the black 

 in another. Mr. T. Kirk proposed a set of names, which 

 might well replace the confused series now in use. Indeed, 

 the same authority tells us that "it is not too much to say 

 that the blundering use of common names in connection 

 with the New Zealand beeches, when the timber has been 

 employed in bridges and constructive works, has caused 

 waste and loss to the value of thousands of pounds." The 

 use of the name birch in place of beech is, perhaps, somewhat 

 excusable, as both N. Menziesii of New Zealand and N. 

 betuloides of South America show some external resemblance 

 to the English birch. 



