12 
Transactions. 
the year 1914, from which a good idea can be gathered as to the diminishing 
of the rainfall eastwards. The Bealey accommodation-house is situated on 
the east side of the Waimakariri River at a distance of two miles from 
where the Bealey Valley opens out into the latter, and of twelve miles as 
the crow flies south-east of Otira, and at an altitude of about 2,000 ft. 
lies just beyond the limit of the rain forest. 
Otira. 
infall 
Rainf 
Rainy days. . 
Eastern Portal 
of Tunnel. 
Rainfa : 
Rainy days.. 
Bealey 
Rainfall 
Rainy days. ; 
Jan. | Feb. 
.. 19-44| 7-68 
28110 
. 16-58| 6-47 
20 9 
5-80| 2-05 
12 8 
TABLE В. 
Year, 1914. 
Mar. | April.| May. | June. | July. | Aug. Sept.| Oct. | Nov.| Dec. | Year. 
4-05 25-67 15-08, 7-96 10-50 ы 12-31 | 24-14 a 192-89 
12°} 94 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 204 
| E 
9-60 25-12 |12-51| 6-82. 7-29| 8-59 13-64 10-01 19-13 26-85 155-61 
12 |23 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 20 182 
| 
1-09 6-91| 5-27| 4-15 3-90| 437 4:92 3-82 686 8-55) 57-69 
page poe 419110 5 10 | 13 | 13 | 1008 
* 11 months. 
It mav be added that the mean annual totals for these three stations 
for the period 1912-15 were as follows: Otira, 202-99 in. on 197-7 days ; 
eastern portal, 174-80 in. on 193-2 days (March, 1915, omitted); Bealey, 
61-40 in. on 115 days (May, 1914, omitted). 
On the eastern flanks of the main range there is à continuous clothing 
of forest which consists practically solely of the mountain southern-beech 
(Nothofagus cliffortioides). The three characteristic tree-members of the 
Westland mountain forests—viz., the southern rata (Metrosideros lucida), 
the kawaka (Libocedrus Bidwillii), and the mountain-tetara (Podocarpus 
Hallii)—are practically absent, although they occur somewhat scantily along 
with their seedlings and saplings amongst the Nothofagus on the eastern 
ass. The fact that the mountain-totara - kawaka associa- 
sparsely into its composition, more especially in the smaller gullies. The 
twiggy nature of the branches and the very small size of the leaves, and in 
considering its fern content the-restrictive effect of this feature must be added 
to that of the climate generally. Moreover, the tree-trunk bases are for 
the most part regularly cylindrical and erect, and of small diameter, and 
accordingly do not provide the favourable stations for low epiphytes as 
