1JU> ri;iH-i:vniM}s ok vnv ovox.oc.ww. sooum-y. [ Poo. 7. 



towiivds ;i vogotiiblo d'w[. il" wo supiioso tluit (lii\v woro {innuliHl tor 

 tho jnirposo of diji'ging ior roots. As tho bontv^ oi' both s|>tH'it\^ oiviir 

 sit prosonj in iMir Alps, AvIuMVVor 1';ivour;iblo looivlitios* oxist i'ov thoir 

 pivsorxation. ot'toii (>nly pnttly roNovod bv Vt>i;vt!ibK^ Ni>il. or ovou 

 Huito tVoo ;mioni;'st tl\o gniss timl shin_i;'lo, ;is it' tht\so h>ii;t^ birds UjuI 

 only diod u tow yoars ajiw it is not unroMsi>n!ibIo to dtnUu'i^ from stu'h 

 !\u iiuportjuu f;u't that. fuMU tlio rioisiooono opooh to tho prosont 

 d;iv. tho tlora of our siibidpiuo ;uul nlpino rnugos has not iindors;ono 

 any nvatorial ohango ; and that tho phmts. whioh in tho rooont oni 

 havo doubth^ss olforod an\ph^ footl to thoso wingU^ss i^iauts, aro M\o 

 sanio as thoso on A\bich thoy oxistod in fonnor tinu^. It is not n\y* 

 intontion to ontor Iumo ii\to an invostii;-ation of tho oausos which 

 bavo K-d to tl\o oxtiiution of l^hiornis, l\ihtpUn/.\\ &.c., wlui.h I 

 iutond to do at souio t'uturo period: but 1 may stato my oonvioliou 

 that in Ivow Zoahmd. with its prtvsont oontij^uration and with its 

 pivsont olin\ato. protootod fnnn tho invasion of man and tho .animals 

 invuirht with him. all tlio noi'iNjisary ooiiditions tor tho oxistiMut^ of 

 thoso largv binls woidd still bo found. 



Whon oxau\iniug and oollootinji' tlio romarkablo tlora oi' our alpino 

 roii'ions. I was oftou struck with tho ononuous iiuantify and varioty 

 of tho plants, tho soods and roots of whioh aro oapablo of sustaining- 

 animal lifo, and wliioh aro now without atiy apparent uso. Tho 

 fow largo alpim^ panvts soom. howovor. Xo livo on tho soods o\' thoso 

 plants, and tho Woka subsists on tho hotorogonoous animal and vogo- 

 tablo n\attor whioh oou\os within roaoh oi' its olaws and boak— soods. 

 UH'its. insoots. li.-'ards. and smaller birds; and ovon tho rat is a wol- 

 oomo dish for this foarloss. ptignaoious. ;md groody bird. It is found 

 oYorywhoro. as high as (5000 toot, on tho mountains and amoi\g tho 

 hitonvl and tovminal moraines of our ghu-iers. AvhfM-<> its bones will 

 beeomo son\o day onvolopod and prosorvod. as those of its largvr 

 pvedoeossors have boon in IMeistiHHmo tintos. 



Among thoso plants which would otfor groat nourishing power. 

 tho ditfoivnt species of tho ron\arkablo genus Acipht/lla, belonging 

 to tho rnih(illui\r, are tho most abundant ; their seeds, as well as 

 thoir roots, are juicy, the latter very much resembling a parsnip, with 

 a stTvng taste of turpentine : they are well liked by tlu' wild pig's, 

 w bich. since Captain Cook's time, have uuiltiidiod so wouderfully that 

 they aiv to be found in several localitit^s leodiug like large tlocks of 

 sheep. The extermination of thoso pigs, often very little inferior in 

 size or in savage nature to tho true wild boar's of tho continent of 

 Kuropo. began in many parts of tho oountry ton years ago with 

 energy and skill, but has in many localities been oxctHnlingly slow, 

 and otfers almost insurmountable ditHculties. 



Invsidos these Spur-grasses {Adphj/lltA, of which .1. (/ramfis, 

 Hooker til., is tho most magnitieent, and other alpino genera of 

 unihelliferous plants with large roots and great quantities of seeds, 

 there are several coniferous trot^ and shrubs ; for instance, Kvocarpus 

 Hiiiu'lllii. rhi/lloc!adi\< alpiixts. rodocarpuit uicalis, as well as shrubs 

 and plants belonging to tho large genus Coprosma {^UuNtUYir), mostly 

 bearing seeds, all of which are now. as it seems, without any appa- 

 rent use. 



