T. Kirk. — On Neiv Zealand Beeches. 301 



forms the chief portion of a zone ranging from about 2,400 to 3,000 feet, 

 extending up the valley of the Poulter and adjacent ranges. Between the 

 Cass Eiver and Bealey it is so strongly marked in contrast with the moun- 

 tain beech that it can readily be descried from the terraces on the southern 

 bank of the river. As its occurrence in the interior of Canterbury had been 

 warmly denied, Mr. Blair, the Directing Engineer for the South Island, 

 suggested that I should finally determine the point by an examination of the 

 growing timber. When on a visit to the district in January, 1881, I had 

 the pleasure of carrying out this suggestion in company with my friend Mr. 

 J. D. Enys, and found the tooth-leaved beech occurring freely between 

 the limits already stated, mixed with mountain beech which forms the 

 greater portion of the forest. Most of the mature specimens were from 

 50 to 70 feet high, with clear unbranched trunks of from 35 to 45 

 feet, measuring 10 feet in girth at six feet from the ground. The 

 oldest specimens were unsound in the middle, but the shell was firm 

 and hard. Trunks cut down twelve years before the date of my visit 

 and left on the ground were still perfectly sound, the logs retaining the 

 wedges that had been driven to split them. Subsequently I examined a 

 stock-yard fence constructed with timber cut at this spot at the time to 

 which I have referred, and found all the posts of tooth-leaved beech in a 

 perfectly satisfactory state, sound and good ; while it had been found 

 necessary to renew all the posts of mountain beech at the end of six 

 years, and the renewed portion was in bad condition, requiring imme- 

 diate replacement, many of the rails even being worthless. 



This species is not found in the Oxford and Alford Forests, although 

 reported to occur there by Mr. Kobertson, who was instructed to examine 

 those forests in October, 1876. 



It descends to the sea-level in many localities, as Ahipara, Kawau, 

 Omaha, Wairoa East, etc., but rarely in large quantities. It is more 

 abundant and attains larger dimensions at elevations between 1,200 and 

 3,000 feet, and in a few localities ascends to 3,800 feet, which, so far as I 

 am aware, is the greatest altitude which it attains. 

 Fagus solanclri, Hook. f. 

 Hook. Ic. PL, t. 639. 

 Myrtilloides cinerascens, Banks & Sol., MS. 

 Cliffortioides oblongata, Dryander. 

 Entire-leaved Beech. 



Black Birch of Wellington, Canterbury, and in part of Otago and Southland. 



White Birch of Nelson, and in part of Otago. 



Black-heart Birch of Otago. 



White, Black, Red, and Brown Birch of Oxford and Alford Forests. 

 A fine tree, sometimes attaining the height of 100 feet, but usually GO- 

 SO feet, with a trunk from 2 to 4 feet or more in diameter. Branchlets 



