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Hottoway.—Studies in the New Zealand Hymenophyllaceae. — 91 
has added H. multifidum. In his description of the higher-altitude forest 
the last-mentioned writer states that here every tree-trunk, tree-fern 
stem, and dead tree is covered vin multitudes of filmy ferns. Epiphytic 
on the tree-fern stems are T. venosum, H. multifidum, H. dilatatum, 
and T. reniforme. The filmy ed are often so thick that they com- 
pletely hide the trunk of tree or fern on which they grow. In many 
cases the ground also is covered with a thick carpet of them. In deep 
forest-clad ies T. reniforme often grows with extreme luxuriance. 
Cockayne concludes (p. 314) that, although vies the most characteristic 
forest-trees of New Zealand, the flora of the Chatham Islands must be 
considered a recent offset from that of New Камын. and he notes that 
the geological and zoological evidence is in favour of a former land con- 
nection. In view, however, of the absence of so many characteristic New 
Zealand genera, he cites Cheeseman's view of the origin of the flora of 
the оаа Islands. 
e remaining outlyi g islands to be considered are those usually 
Зарас the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand—viz., the Auckland, 
Campbell, Antipodes, and Macquarie Islands—which lie easterly or southerly 
from the South Cape of New Zealand at distances of 190 to 570 miles 
(see map 1, on page 68) The plant- айлар of the two first-named 
groups was in part described by J. D. Hooker (19), and of all except the 
Macquarie Islands more fully by L. элй (12). In 1907 all of the 
groups were thoroughly investigated by the New Zealand Scientific Expedi- 
tion, and a full account published (27). 
The following brief account of the climate and forest-covering of Auck- 
land Island is taken from Cockayne: There are many rainy days, almost 
violence, and a winter climate which is extremely mild—much milder, 
indeed, than that of certain parts of the South Island of New Zealand at 
sea-level, as, €.g., the Canterbury Plains. The rata-forest zone forms a 
belt extending round a considerable portion of the coast of the various 
islands in the Auckland Group, being more luxuriant, with a richer fern 
flora at the heads of sheltered inlets. At altitudes of about 400 ft. it gives 
place to formations of scrub or meadow. The floor of the forest consists of 
wettish peat. The mechanical effect of the constant and heavy winds has 
the forest, rising about 15 ft. above the ground, is very dense and keeps 
the interior calm, and this, combined with the great amount of moisture 
in the atmosphere, affords very strong hygrophytic conditions in its interior. 
There is a luxuriant growth of mosses, liverworts, and filmy ferns both on 
the floor and on the trunks and branches of the trees, and amongst other 
ferns the tore hygrophilous Leptopteris superba is to be found in favour- 
able localitie 
Ten sponse of Hymenophyllum have been recorded from the Auckland 
Island rata forest —viz., H. rarum, H. sanguinolentum, Н. villosum, 
H. dilatatu 
tum, H. demissum, H. flabellatum, H. minimum, H. Tunbridgense, 
H. multifidum, and H. bivalve. It will be noticed both that the above list: 
includes the six species which on the main islands of New Zealand show 
themselves to be the least hygrophilous and the most consistently wide- 
ranging in the ae and also that it contains no species of Trichomanes. 
However, the sence of such comparatively hy grophilous species as 
H. dilatatum, H. PESTE and H. Tunbridgense is a striking proof 
