T. Kirk.— On the Ferns of Stewart Island. 233 



Lycopodium selago, L. Port Pegasus, Mr. Petrie ! 

 L. car in m, Br. 



L. ramulosum, T. Kirk. On open peaty laud aud in swampy woods. Stems 

 excessively branched and prostrate, densely matted. Head of Pater- 

 son's Inlet. 

 L. clavatum, var. magellanicum. Common ; ascends to 3,000 feet. 

 L. scariosum, Br. Low sand ranges and terraces between Paterson's Inlet 



and Mason Bay. Island of Ulva. 

 L. volubile, Swartz. In forests ; not uncommon. 

 Tmesipteris tannensis, Sw. On rocks and trees, frequent. 

 AzoUa rubra, Br. Buapuke Island. A. W. Traill! 



It is not easy to account for the apparent absence of several species, 

 such as Dicksonia antarctica, Hymenophyllum scabrum, Aspidium richardii, 

 Nephrodium glabellum, Polypodium pennigerum, and especially Asplenium 

 hookerianum, and A. colensoi. In all probability several of these will be 

 discovered before long. 



This paper may be fittingly concluded with brief descriptions of two 

 natural " ferneries " on Stewart Island. 



The first is a narrow gully, or deep ravine, in the forest on the island 

 of Ulva. At tbe head of the ravine is a small cascade, which gives rise to 

 the stream flowing through the gully. The whole is shut in by large trees 

 so that direct sunlight is excluded, and the sides of the gully, at first steep, 

 are gently rounded-off in the upper portions. The conditions are eminently 

 favourable for luxuriant fern -growth. 



At first the visitor's attention is arrested by large masses of tree-ferns, 

 Dicksonia sguarrosa, the stems of which are partly shrouded by the persis- 

 tent dead fronds. These are most abundant in the flat ground at the lower 

 part of the gully, and as they ascend the banks become reduced to solitary 

 specimens, here and there intermixed with the more graceful Hemitelia, 

 which becomes more abundant in the upper parts of the gully and attains 

 large dimensions. 



Interspersed amongst the scattered tree-ferns are gigantic specimens of 

 Lomaria capensis which considerably overtop the visitor as he passes beneath 

 them ; as they ascend the banks they gradually diminish in height until 

 they pass into the var. minor. Lomaria patersoni is plentiful and luxuriant 

 near the head of the gully. The spaces between the larger ferns are 

 occupied with a dense growth of Lomaria lanceolata — Pteris scaberula hi the 

 drier places. HypoUpis tenuifolia, Lomaria discolor, L. rulcanica, and other 

 common species forming a series of contrasts in colour and habit. 



The trunks of the tree-ferns are clothed with Hymenophyllum aruginosum 

 in the most luxuriant condition, while H. Jiabellatum, H. tunbridgense, and 

 Trichomanes venosum occupy similar habitats, and the translucent H, 



