U/.lcj^^ 



THE TUATERA. 



CHAPTER III 



The Animals of New Zealand 



Oe the outlying islands of the Australasian realm by far the largest is New- 

 Zealand, which, it need scarcely be mentioned, really comprises two distinct main 

 islands, the North and the South ; these, on account of their relative geographical 

 positions, displaying great local variation in climate, the North Island being, of 

 course, the warmer of the two. For the most part New Zealand possesses a luxuriant 

 vegetation, including great masses of tree and other ferns, which impart a char- 

 acteristic appearance to the landscape. Forest-trees likewise attain a great 

 development, among these being the kauri pine (Dummara australis), the 

 kahikatea pine (Podocarpus dacrydioides), and the so-called black -bush (Noto- 

 fagus fusca). The delicate nikau palm (Arecasa pida), the only member of 

 its tribe indigenous to these islands, and the numerous stately tree-ferns im-~ 

 part a tropical character to the vegetation of the warmer districts where they 

 flourish. In the woods of the cooler districts shrubs and bushes replace the 

 profusion and luxuriance of the warmer areas. On the eastern side of the 

 central backbone of mountains are desert plains, the tall forest, not making 

 its appearance till an altitude of from about 2000 to 3000 feet is attained. 

 In these forests, with the exception of an abundant growth of saplings of the 

 black-bush or southern beech, there is little undergrowth. In the more exposed 

 districts stony plains covered with thorny shrubs and grass are common. On 

 these also grow certain peculiar types of umbelliferous plants, which flourish only 

 on dry soils, where they form conical masses of sword- shaped leaves ; numerous 

 other flowering plants being also characteristic of these drier districts. 



