Plant Formations.] SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. 487 



some specimens of rata {Metrosideros lucida), perhaps 2 ft. high., growing inside a 

 ring fence of dead Dracofhyllum branches. He informed us that the specimens came 

 from the mainland, and grew nowhere on the island. The specimens were not in 

 vigorous growth, and probably would not have survived without the protection they 

 were receiving. It seems, therefore, scarcely likely that the plant could exist on the 

 island. It is, of course, possible that Mr. Kirk may have visited some portion of 

 the island unseen by any other observer ; but this is extremely unlikely, though he 

 gives no details of his exact routes. However, we learn from Mr. Justice Chapman's 

 account of the same trip"'' that the places visited were North-west Harbour, Mount 

 Honey, and a portion of Perseverance Harbour nearer the heads. The heads of 

 Perseverance Harbour have not been visited since by any botanical observer, but 

 there is nothing in Mr. Kirk's description to lead one to suppose that the plants 

 under discussion were believed to be confined to this locality. Mr. Justice Chapman 

 [loc. cit.) incidentally mentions Cassinia as occurring on the island, but does not give 

 any definite habitat. On the whole, therefore, the evidence is against the occurrence 

 of Metrosideros lucida, Coprosma foetidissima, and Cassinia Vauvilliersii on Camp- 

 bell Island. Kirk also records f Celmisia verhascoides, Hook. f. (probably Celmisia 

 verbascifolia. Hook, f.), as occurring on Campbell Island. This, as is recognised by 

 Mr. Justice Chapman {loc. cit.), is almost certainly Pleurophyllum Hookeri {Pleuro- 

 phyllum Gilliesianum, T. Kirk), which has some external resemblance to C. verbasci- 

 folia. 



Uniformity of Plant Covering. 



Dr. Cockayne J has already fully described the plant formations of the island 

 under the following heads : (1) Stony shore, (2) scrub, (3) lower tussock meadow 

 [see fig. 1], (4) subalpine rocks, (5) subalpine tussock meadow, (6) Rosthovia forma- 

 tion ; and it will be well for me in my remarks to follow his classification as far as 

 possible, particularly as it, though ostensibly descriptive of a small portion of the 

 island only, practically applies to the great portion of it. Indeed, the vegetation is 

 much more uniform on Campbell Island than has perhaps been anticipated. 



Although there are a number of distinctly littoral forms, yet it is probable that 

 the amount of salt in the soil is everywhere greater than would be found in most 

 other lands at corresponding distances from the sea-shore, as the westerly winds 

 must blow fine spray and salt evaporated from spray right across the island. Evi- 

 dence of this is given by the fact that, whilst we were there, in most of the water- 

 courses on the island, even near the tops of the mountains, the water was saltish 

 to the taste. 



Again, above the scrub-line, which is roughly about 500 ft., any given plant 

 may be found in almost any situation — bog, meadow, rock, or watercourse. Every- 

 where — at least, during our visit — the soil was saturated with moisture, and down 

 the rock-faces water streamed.§ There are, of course, a few exceptions to the general 

 rule — thus, Drosera was found only in the bog at the back of the homestead. But 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxiii, p. 511. 



t Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xiv, p. 388. 



X " Botanical Excursion to the Southern Islands," Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxvi, p. 225. 



§ But see Cockavne, loc. cit., p. 275. 



