in New Zealand . 
305 
from among the rushes. This bird, which resembles 
very much the English Bittern in its general appear¬ 
ance, is large, being upwards of three feet in length, 
and is very shy, mostly remaining solitary in swampy 
places. Its plumage has a very elegant appearance, 
being of a light colour underneath, and reddish-brown 
on the back and wings, dappled with black. Its bill 
and legs are of a delicate yellowish-green colour. The 
native name for this bird is, Matukuhurepo. In about 
three hours from our leaving the landing place at the 
head of Wangaruru River, we arrived at Waikare, a 
village situate on the inner waters of the Bay of 
Islands. 
It was from the woods in this locality, that I first 
obtained specimens of the Para, a fine fern of the Ma- 
rattia genus, whose curiously jointed and bipinnate 
fronds attain to the height of 10-13 feet. This plant 
was formerly in great request among the natives, the 
large gibbous fleshy and vaginant bases of its petioles, 
being an article of food of the first quality. Hence its 
scarcity, a few plants only being found remaining in 
the deepest and darkest recesses of the forest. The 
largest tree fern I have yet seen, I found in these woods. 
It was a Cyathea medullaris, and measured, from its 
base to the springing of its petioles, 42 feet! My ad¬ 
miration and astonishment were greatly increased, on 
detecting this fine fern, and ascertaining its height, as 
all of this species I had hitherto seen seldom attained a 
greater altitude than 10-12 feet; and A. Cunningham 
(in Comp . Bot. May,, v. ii., p. 368), speaking of it, says, 
“ Caudex orgyalis.” Here, too, I noticed a splendid 
plant of Fuchsia excorticata; quite a tree, being 21 feet 
vol. ii. no. ix. 2 G 
