﻿T. 
  KiEK. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Dotany 
  of 
  Islands 
  in 
  iha 
  llaurahi 
  Gulf. 
  449 
  

  

  Te 
  Eatovoa 
  contains 
  204 
  acres. 
  Its 
  flora 
  is 
  cliiefly 
  remarkable 
  for 
  tlic 
  

   profusion 
  of 
  Entelea, 
  associated 
  with 
  Brachyijlottis, 
  CoprosDia, 
  Veronica, 
  and 
  

   other 
  small 
  shrubs. 
  The 
  plants 
  of 
  Motuora 
  arc 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  character. 
  

  

  Motukorca, 
  or 
  Browu's 
  Island, 
  has 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  150 
  acres. 
  It 
  is 
  chiefly 
  

   volcanic, 
  and 
  contains 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  perfect 
  craters 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  ia 
  the 
  

   Auckland 
  system, 
  AVith 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  lava 
  field, 
  which 
  forms 
  a 
  

   large 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  the 
  whole 
  has 
  been 
  laid 
  down 
  

   in 
  grass, 
  and 
  presents 
  no 
  botanical 
  features 
  of 
  special 
  interest. 
  In 
  a 
  fjw 
  

   places, 
  where 
  water 
  accumulates 
  in 
  spaces 
  amougst 
  the 
  blocks 
  of 
  lava, 
  or 
  

   percolates 
  through 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  sea, 
  Tijpha 
  latifoUa, 
  Sclrjms 
  nuu-uinnni, 
  

   and 
  other 
  uligiual 
  plants 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  some 
  quantity. 
  In 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  

   the 
  lava 
  field 
  a 
  dense 
  growth 
  of 
  bushy 
  shrubs 
  attracts 
  attention. 
  Ulcaria 
  

   finfiiracca 
  and 
  ]\Letrudderos 
  tomoniosa 
  occur 
  sparingly, 
  but 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  

   usually 
  of 
  small 
  size. 
  

  

  The 
  volcanic 
  island 
  of 
  Eangitoto, 
  which 
  forms 
  so 
  prominent 
  a 
  feature 
  in 
  

   the 
  scenery 
  of 
  the 
  Hauraki 
  Gulf, 
  possesses 
  greater 
  interest 
  to 
  the 
  botanist 
  

   than 
  any 
  other 
  island 
  in 
  the 
  group. 
  This 
  arises 
  less 
  from 
  a 
  copious 
  flora- 
  

   although 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  is 
  comparatively 
  large 
  — 
  than 
  from 
  the 
  

   remarkable 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  ligneous 
  vegetation, 
  which 
  exhibits 
  the 
  utmost 
  

   luxuriance 
  of 
  foliage 
  and 
  flowers 
  on 
  the 
  most 
  diminutive 
  specimens, 
  and 
  

   from 
  the 
  peculiar 
  conditions 
  of 
  growth, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  plants 
  springing 
  

   directly 
  from 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  rocks 
  or 
  from 
  the 
  crevices 
  between 
  them. 
  A 
  

   brief 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  will 
  enable 
  us 
  better 
  to 
  understand 
  the 
  pecu- 
  

   liarities 
  presented 
  by 
  its 
  flora. 
  

  

  Eangitoto 
  is 
  roughly 
  circular 
  in 
  outline, 
  with 
  deep 
  indentations 
  ; 
  its 
  

   greatest 
  diameter 
  is 
  about 
  four 
  miles 
  ; 
  its 
  least 
  two 
  and 
  a-half 
  miles 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  

   estimated 
  to 
  contain 
  5,G44 
  acres, 
  and 
  is 
  next 
  in 
  size 
  to 
  Waiheke. 
  Its 
  base 
  

   consists 
  of 
  an 
  irregular 
  lava 
  field, 
  rising 
  towards 
  the 
  centre 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  of 
  

   four 
  or 
  five 
  degrees. 
  From 
  near 
  tbc 
  centre 
  the 
  scoria 
  cone, 
  which 
  forms 
  

   the 
  crater, 
  rises 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  of 
  about 
  05 
  degrees 
  to 
  the 
  heigbt 
  of 
  030 
  feet. 
  

   The 
  cone 
  is 
  double, 
  but 
  the 
  outer 
  one 
  has 
  been 
  carried 
  away 
  in 
  places 
  ; 
  the 
  

   inner 
  and 
  more 
  elevated 
  cone 
  forms 
  the 
  largest 
  and 
  best 
  preserved 
  crater 
  

   to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  tbc 
  Auckland 
  system. 
  It 
  is 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  latest 
  

   manifestation 
  of 
  volcanic 
  activity 
  in 
  the 
  Waitcmata 
  district. 
  Although 
  

   Duly 
  200 
  feet 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  of 
  Waiheke, 
  its 
  isolated 
  peak 
  is 
  

   frequently 
  surrounded 
  by 
  clouds, 
  while 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  isthmus 
  

   is 
  suffering 
  from 
  want 
  of 
  rain. 
  

  

  The 
  lava 
  field, 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  chief 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   rough 
  and 
  diSicidt 
  of 
  examination, 
  being 
  broken 
  up 
  into 
  chasms, 
  ravines, 
  

   and 
  irregular 
  depressions 
  ; 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  progress 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  made 
  by 
  

   leaping 
  from 
  one 
  sharp-edged 
  block 
  of 
  scoria 
  to 
  another, 
  or 
  by 
  scrambling 
  

  

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