OrrvER.— Marine Littoral Plant and Animal Communities. 521 
along the upper level of the association. This alga grows so thickly that 
its wide thalli when lying on the rocks cover up entirely all the other 
vegetation. The holdfasts here are small compared to those found farther 
south, and the life they shelter is not so varied. Which species first bore 
into them I am unable to say, but Siphonaria australis is an early visitor. 
Other species found in the holdfast - cavities are Onithochiton neglectus 
Plaxiphora egregia, Sypharochiton sinclairi, and Sphaeroma. 
Along the upper margin ef the Durvillea association there is a belt 
of Xiphophora chondrophylla. Lower down larger brown algae occur: 
they are principally Marginaria Boryana, Lessonia variegata, Carpophyllum 
maschalocarpum, and Cystophora dumosa. Beneath these the rock-surface is 
number of small red and brown algae, such as Pterocladia lucida, Zonaria 
Turneriana, Glossophora Harveyi, and Stypocaulon paniculatum. 
Animals found on the rocks in this association include Patelloidea stella 
] Melobesi 
B 
corticata (abundant and always covered wit besia), Haliotis iris, 
opalus and C. purpuratus. (Plate 43, fig. 2.) 
Te Henga.—This locality, north of Manukau Heads, is near the northern 
limit of Durvillea antarctica. The kelp here grows in a belt on the rocks, 
mon; Plaxiphora obtecta, with clean non-eroded shells, is found here and 
there; and P. caelata also occurs. A single small specimen of P. biramosa 
Was found. A large starfish, Stichaster australis, is extremely common and 
Very conspicuous: it varies in colour from red to purple. Underneath the 
holdfasts of Durvillea is Venerupis reflexa. 2 
Carpophyllum Association. 
This association is found from the North Cape to Stewart Island. 
Carpophyllum maschalocarpum, the dominant plant, has small elliptic thallus- 
segments, 2-3 cm. long and 3-1 cm. wide. ere is an outer row of cells 
about five times as long as wide, with the long axes at right angles to the 
surface, and brown granules at the inner end. Following this is a dense 
tissue, thicker near the middle of the thallus-segment than near the mar- 
gins, of cubical cells with thick walls and containing brown granules. The 
central tissue is composed of quite large cells; those next the tough cortex 
denser tissue. (Fig. 6. 
е е Beacon Reef, on the north-west side of Rangitoto, 
a large-brown-algae formation is well developed. rocks exposed only 
