11 
termini'll to have another day's picnic, 
set off to walk across to Wedge Bay, 
it being arranged that the steamer 
would lain there for then A few mem¬ 
bers stayed around the camp, and the 
s.s. Reemere arrived early in the af¬ 
ternoon, and the camp gear was soon 
placed on board. We bade farewell to 
Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Tanner, upon 
whose property wo had been ramped, 
and soon were “all aboard.” With re¬ 
gret, we steamed away from the shores 
of Safety Cove, and fund memories of 
the pleasant days we spent there will 
linger for a long time to come. 
A good trip, despite a slight roll, was 
experienced to Wedge Bay, where the 
remainder of the party greeted us. 
Wedge Bay was left as darkness was 
falling, and the whole, company as¬ 
sembled on the upper deck, where the 
camp songs were once again called into 
commission. To the tune of “Auld Lang 
Syne” we steamed into the Hobart 
wharf at 10 p.m. 
BOTANICAL NOTES 
By L. Rodway, C.M.G., Government Botanist 
The study of plant life received a 
considerable stimulus when, but a few 
years ago, it was directed into a com¬ 
paratively new channel. Something al¬ 
most amounting to an inspiration seized 
upon the minds of botanists, and awak¬ 
ened them to the fact that though the 
study of botany bad been pushed al¬ 
most to exhaustion along most lines, 
yet there was one, and that of the ut¬ 
most importance, which had been al¬ 
most completely neglected. This line of 
study is that of the response of plants 
to their environment, and has received 
the name of ecology. Ecology is some¬ 
thing more than a branch of physiol¬ 
ogy; it is even something more than a 
single science. It contains three clearly 
distinguished lines of research, name¬ 
ly : — 
Plant Geography, which treats of the 
distribution of plants upon the globe, 
deals with migration, the limiting ef¬ 
fect of climatic factors, und influence of 
general conditions. 
Plant Society, which deals with plant 
distribution under local conditions; 
why certain plants associate in similar 
localities: why one area supports wood¬ 
land, another heath: why a distinctive 
vegetation always appears on sand 
dunes, on shores, on swamps, and in 
water. 
Plant Conformity, which treats of 
changes of form in individual plants duo 
to differences in local conditions, such 
as copious or sparse rainfall, constitu¬ 
tion of soil, temperature, intensity and 
incidence of light, and effects produced 
by prevailing winds. 
Besides being a great place for gene¬ 
ral plant hunting, Safety Cove, with its 
surroundings, is an ideal place for the 
study of this new science of ecology. 
Under the first section we may inquire 
why the prevailing trees are eucalypts, 
and where did they conic from? Why 
are there no pines nor palms? Also the 
Hakoas. There are two or three species 
present here. The genus is a very old 
one. Where did it originate, and how- 
lias it migrated? Why has it died out 
in some places and spread in others? 
Under Plant Society we may inquire 
why, on the flat, and immediately about 
the camp, there were trees, and why, 
from camp to the caves, it was mostly 
heath? Certain plants only live on 
dunes, others on shores, others, again, 
in marshes. Why is this? Plants of no 
relationship will often, under similar 
conditions, assume similar shape. Thus 
in water, near the camp, a member of 
the Gentian family had leaves exactly 
like those or a water lily. 
Plant conformity is very interesting. 
Ma ny plants growing iq, salt locality 
acquire a fleshy structure. This was il¬ 
lustrated in some herbs along Point 
Puer, also Half Moon Bay. The differ¬ 
ent structure of leaves of the same 
species grown in shade and bright light 
afforded numerous examples. Perhaps 
a more interesting response to local 
conditions was the dwarfing and crook¬ 
ed growth of shrubs and trees on Brown 
Mountain, where the constant southerly 
winds have full play. 
