858 : Transactions.— Botany. 
of which separate from the main trunk at about five feet from the ground 
and after rising some ten feet higher some of them divide again into other 
branches. 
The tree itself is about nine inches in diameter at the e and about 
six inches just before it divides, the branches being from three to four 
inches each in diameter. The total height of the tree is about thirty feet, 
and each branch is crowned with a fine head of luxuriant leaves, forming 
altogether a most beautiful object. The forest around contains hundreds 
of ordinary nikaus with single stems, but none with any sign of branches. 
There was no fruit on the tree, though others in the vieinity were in 
bearing; this may not, however, be owing to any barrenness in it, for it is 
stated that the palms do not bear seed every year. It would be rather 
interesting to ascertain whether the seeds of this particular tree would 
produce branched offspring like itself. 
Since seeing this tree I have made inquiries of several old bushmen and 
others with a view of eliciting whether they had ever seen or heard of the 
like before, and with one exception have been answered in the negative. 
In this ease my informant stated that he had seen a deformed specimen 
which had divided into two branches—the cause of which ho attributed to 
accident—such as the falling of a tree into its head, by which it would 
become divided but still have sufficient vitality to recover the blow. I do 
not attempt to assign any cause why this tree differs from its fellows, but 
simply bring the matter before the Society as an example of a marked 
deviation from a general form of vegetable life. The accompanying sketch 
(pl. XV.), copied from a rough one taken on the ground, will give à much 
better idea of the tree than any description I can give. 
Art. L.—Notes on Ferns. By T. H. Ports. 
[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 6th December, 1877.] 
Tue writer offers a few notes on the habits and localities of some of our 
ferns, trusting they may be of some interest, as habitats are given not 
mentioned in * Hooker’s Handbook." One cannot fail to notice the great 
changes that are daily taking place in the natural aspect of the country. 
More especially is this the case in forest lands, where a vast amount of 
timber has been used up or destroyed within the past ten years. Ten years 
ago is about the date of Dr. Hooker’s most valuable Handbook of the New 
Zealand Flora. In that work of reference, ‘‘ abundant ies the 
mendes’ is a — phrase as "— to ferns 
