Floristik, Geographie, Systematik etc. 
177 
met with in any other part of the Transvaal. This forest is charac- 
terised by the evergreen nature of the trees and by the common 
occurrence of epiphytes, lianes and ferns. 
2 High Veld zone, exclusive of the mist beit forest, descend- 
ing to about 4,000 feet altitude. This is a typical grass steppe re- 
gion, and trees are rare, though about 42 tree species are recorded. 
3. Middle Veld zone or Bush veld is a Savannah region, not 
a forest, and the trees are largely deciduous, 122 species being re¬ 
corded. Species of Acacia and other Leguminoseae and of Combretum 
and Rhus predominate. Epiphytes and ferns are scarce. 
4. The Low Veld zone, which is a typical Savannah region like 
the Middle veld, but possesses a number of species peculiar to itself. 
Only 24 species are at present listed for this region. 
The author gives lists of the trees of the Transvaal, classified 
according to their zonal distribution and also according to their 
botanical position. W. E. Brenchley. 
Cockayne, L., A Botanical Survey of the Tongariro Natio¬ 
nal Park. (Report to the Department of Lands. New Zealand; 
Wellington. 1908. 42 pp. fol., 32 plates, and 1 map. Price 1/—.) 
The legislature of New Zealand has taken the important Step 
of acquiring parts of their country famous for scenery or other fea- 
tures, and there native animals and plants are protected from depre- 
dation by man and from the competition of cattle and other intro- 
duced animals. Five national parks have already been established, 
and three Coastal islands as well as several other areas have been 
constituted reserves. Scientific workers have been encouraged to 
investigate these reserves, and on the botanical side Dr. Cockayne 
has made good use of the opportunilies for botanical investigation. 
About a year ago he issued the report on the botanical survey 
of Kapiti Island (Bot. Cent., 107. p. 236), and now two other sur- 
veys have come to hand — the Tongariro National Park and the 
Waiporia Kauri Forest. The reports are government publica- 
tions, illustrated with numerous reproductions of photographs of 
scene^ and Vegetation, and each provided with an excellent map 
of the district; the price asked is extremely low — one Shilling. In 
the introduction to this memoir, Cockayne points out the extraordi- 
nary interest attached to these New Zealand reserves, and bota- 
nists throughout the world will appreciate the foresight of the legis- 
lation which has acquired these places for the nation, and has 
encouraged investigation on the natural history of what are really 
open-air museums filled with „Naturdenkmäler”. 
The Tongariro Park was made a reserve because it includes 
several active volcanoes of the thermal region of the North Islan d. 
The enclosed area lies round the volcanoes Tongariro, Ngau- 
ruhoe, and Ruapehu, but Cockayne recommends an extension of 
the boundaries so as to include adjoining tracts of forest and other 
Vegetation of great botanical interest. The Park and its neighbour- 
hood have only been slightly interfered with by introduced animals, 
so that the flora and fauna are still almost primitive. Bidwill, 
Coieno,.Cheeseman and other botanists have investigated the 
flora from time to time. 
The highest summit Ruapehu (2800 metres) carries the only 
glaciers found in North Island (N. Z.), and in the glacier which 
occupies the ancient crater there lies surrounded by cliffs of rock 
Botan. Centralblatt. Band 110. 1009. 12 
