4 
will be agreeably contrasted with New Zealand forest vegetation ;—but, 
if lie should have come hither direct from the sunny skies and islands 
of the tropics, with their graceful perennial light cver-green dress, then 
the New Zealand hills and dells may appear very sombre, and will 
suffer from recollection and comparison. Again : if lie should happen 
to anchor in one of the many rivers or harbours north of the Thames,— 
w hile the ubiquitous brown fern (Pteris esculenta) is everywhere,— 
he v ill be struck with the appearance of the White Mangrove (Avicennia 
officinalis) growing within the range of the tide, and the romantic 
Poliutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa) pendant from the cliffs or perched 
on some locky headland ; and perhaps in som eforest not far off the 
stately Kami line (Dammara australis) uprearing its lofty head far 
abo\ e all its compeers • but these vegetable characteristics will not be 
found south of the East Cape. 
4. The general appearance of New Zealand vegetation (North Island) 
is not on the whole of a pleasing character. Brown fern-clad plains, 
and low hills sometimes of tolerably regular outline but oftener of all 
rugged shapes and sizes ,• and dark-green almost gloomy looking forests, 
—here extending for many miles, and there in belts or patches,—yield 
not an agreeable prospect. But, in summer,-when the sombre fern is 
edecked with the neat flowering mantle of its neighbour, the myriad 
°* im * ^ anu ^ a {Leptospermum scopariunt ), diffusing also its aromatic 
W with every breeze- and the smaller and much more variegated 
^.^nestlmg in deep glens and fringing the watercourse^ ex¬ 
hibit their “ ever-changing ever new" forms and summer colours in 
ever-varying hghts and shades,-then the New Zealand vegetation ap¬ 
peal's greatly to advantage. * 
6. Not many of oar larger timber trees are either handsome or grace- 
;; H ; U ° lmge ai ‘ d branchin S &U grown, although several are both 
sinum ) ^ 'TV dr ° 0piDg - bnmched Ri ™b (Daerydium cupres- 
handson fT fern -P Iuma g ed Kawuka, (Thuja Doniana*.) the 
ZZl? 7, T tnchomanoides,) the 
Titoki \!s/ XV > ° ReWareWa ’ ' Anl H kiia excel™,) the soft full-foliaged 
and in ]>• eC7 ^ 0n ^ ccdsum J tlio ornate Tawhai, (Fagus MetmediJ 
let what 8 ’ r m S01 J S >^ be spreading Tawhai-rau-nui, ^(Faguafu&ca). 
beauty and g.eeis.more thin Applied L 
New Zealand forests' ''TV" 11 ' V S °“ e ° f the ve S otable g iante of the 
-- T c 1 ie c ean symmetrical trunks of others 
* Libocodrus Doniana, Hook: f.- 
-Ed. 
