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SUBANTARCnC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. [Historical. 



THE SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND AND THE HISTORY 

 OF THEIR SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. 



By Charles Chilton, M.A., D.Sc., F.L.S., Professor of Biology, Canterbury College, University of 



New Zealand. 



To the south and south-east of New Zealand lie a number of islands, or groups of 

 islands, which are in these volumes called the " Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand." 

 They have sometimes been referred to as the "Southern Islands of New Zealand," 

 but this name is apt to lead to their being confused with the South (or Middle) Island 

 of New Zealand, while the term " Southern Islands " is often used in a more general 

 sense for the islands lying in the South Pacific. The islands now being considered 

 are subantarctic in geographical position, and, as the results contained in the fol- 

 lowing pages will show, are closely allied in climate, fauna, and flora to subantarctic 

 islands elsewhere, and the use of the term " Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand " 

 for them appears to be fully justified. 



The islands included in this group are the Snares, the Auckland Island group, 

 Campbell Island, Antipodes Islands, Bounty Islands, and Macquarie Island. The 

 last named belongs politically to Tasmania, and not to New Zealand ; but bio- 

 logically it should be included in the New Zealand group, and the industries carried 

 on there from time to time have usually been worked from ports on the south of 

 New Zealand. 



Fuller details with regard to the physiography of these islands will be found 

 in the geological and meteorological papers in this volume ; but it may be 

 well here to state briefly one or two facts regarding their position, number, and 

 extent. 



The Snares lie sixty miles south-west from the South Cape of Stewart Island, 

 and consist of two small rocky islands and several islets and rocks, mostly covered 

 ¥rith low forest, consisting mainly of Olearia LyaUii. The largest island can be 

 readily landed on in calm weather. Some years ago this island was surveyed in 

 connection with the proposal to erect a lighthouse upon it, as the Snares lie almost 

 directly in the track of vessels sailing from Australia towards Cape Horn, and are 

 of considerable danger to navigation. 



The Auckland Island group consists of several islands lying about 190 miles 

 south by west from the South Cape of Stewart Island. The largest is Auckland Island 

 itself, about twenty-three miles in length, with a greatest width of fifteen miles, 

 lying in the centre ; to the north of this lie Enderby and Ewing Islands, and to 

 the south Adams Island, separated from Auckland Island by the fine harbour or 

 strait known as Carnley Harbour or Adams Strait ; to the west, at a distance of 

 alMiut four or five miles, lies a rocky islet — Disappointment Island. The main 

 islands are wooded up to a varying altitude, and abundantly covered with various 

 kinds of vegetation. In several places the hills rise to a height of over 2,000 ft. 

 The whole of the west coast is formed of high precipitous cliffs ; but on the east 

 coast are several fine harbours, such as Port Ross (portions of which are also known 



