126 Transactions. 
limited. Indeed, it is rare to meet with any at all during a whole day’s walk 
in the bush. I attribute their destruction principally to wild cats, the pro- 
geny of imported animals, although I was informed that a species of gull 
also attacks the land birds, and is especially destructive to poultry. 
“ Besides wild cats, which are common on both islands, there are on Chat- 
ham Island swarms of the Norway rat and English mouse. I believe there 
were no indigenous terrestrial mammals on either island, not even a bat; 
but seals of several kinds, and whales, and porpoises are abundant on the 
coasts, the former frequenting reefs at some distance from the shore. In 
connection with the recent introduction of the New Zealand pigeon, I may 
mention that in a small tract of bush on the margin of the great lagoon, I 
found three trees of the Edwardsia microphylla all growing close together, 
and being the only specimens of that plant which I saw on either island. 
They were not in flower or fruit at the time. They were apparently all of 
equal age, and were about five inches in diameter and fifteen feet high. Mr. 
Hunt, to whom I pointed them out, stated that he had never seen the plant 
before. During my residence at Pitt's Island I was in the habit of examining. 
the eoast of the Bay in which Mr. Hunt's house is situated twice a day for 
some months, and on one occasion I found a sawn plank of Totara, and 
on another a seed of the Edwardsia, which had evidently been washed 
from New Zealand. The seed was hard and apparently sound. I gave it 
to Mr. Hunt, who sowed it, but I have not yet learnt the result. I also saw 
on the beach logs of White and Red Pine, and of the Totara, which had 
been washed ashore some time previously. 
*I left Chatham Island about the 20th November, and proceeded to 
Pitt’s Island, and took up my residence with Mr. Hunt. As I have before 
mentioned, the whole of Pitt's Island, with but a very trifling exception, is 
covered with bush. I was struck with the perfect identity of the great 
majority of the plants with those of New Zealand, but, as you will observe 
from the collections I made, I felt it my duty to take even those about which 
I had no doubt whatsoever. There is but one hill on the island which 
exceeds six hundred feet in height. It is perfectly flat-topped, the summit 
an area of about eighty acres. This is covered with peat to the depth 
of five or six feet, supporting a mixed growth of grass, fern, Phormium tenaz, 
and shrubs. From the summit of this hill a good view of the whole group 
of islands is obtained. 
“I was unfortunately unable to visit South-east Island, which appears to 
be the highest land in the group, and which, I was informed, contained 
several plants not to be found either on Chatham or Pitt’ sIsland. I had 
one Smorendiy of visiting s but owing to the great dampness of the season, 
Iwas s afraid t my tions, which required unremitting attention. 
