woods extend. On the Waitakeri, near Henderson’s mill, and in 
the Huia Bay , I found yet considerable tracts remaining. Farther 
South, though there are single trees and smaller groups met with 
as far as Kawhia Harbour, yet whole forests are no longer seen. 
Along the East Coast it is the Katikati river, at the North 
end of the Tauranga Harbour in Plenty Bay, at 87° 30' South 
latitude, which has been designated as the southernmost point for 
t lie growth of the Kauri. Very rich in beautiful forests is still the 
Cape Colville Peninsula on the East, side of the Hauraki Gulf, whence 
the timber is exported partly by Mercury Bay, partly by Coro- 
mandel Harbour. The woods disappear more and more where the 
island South of Auckland and South of Cape Colville Peninsula 
assumes breadth. Near Papakura and in the mountains on the 
Wairoa, there are yet some isolated Kauris, but on the Waikato 
they are already at an end. I believe that the total area com- 
prising all the Kauri woods upon New Zealand can scarcely be 
estimated as exceeding 4000 Engl, square-miles. 
I have not seen the large and magnificent forests on the Kai- 
para, but I have seen beautiful Kauri woods in the coast range 
West of Auckland, in the Titirangi chain, on the Waitakeri, in 
Henderson’s Bush, and in the Huia on the Manukau Harbour; 
likewise in the mountains of the Cape Colville chain on Coromandel 
Harbour; and will now briefly state a few observations which I 
have made in those places. 
The soil in the parts above mentioned consits partly of a fer- 
ruginous clay which has originated in the decomposition of vol- 
canic conglomerate and tuff; partly of a stiff white clay. The 
Kauri pine never grows single or isolated , nor does it form 
woods quite free from other large forest-trees, but it occurs in 
clumps upon places sheltered from tire wind. These clumps im- 
part to the forest its characteristic physiognomy. On looking over 
the whole mass of woods from a hill or a mountain, the Kauri 
groups are easily distinguished at a great distance by their dark- 
green foliage. The crowns of the Kauri pines rise far above the 
rest of forest-trees , and produce dark shades upon the slopes of 
