A RAMBLE ON MOUNT EGMONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 53

A RAMBLE ON MOUNT EGMONT.

By Geo. M. Thomson, F.L.S

Mount Egmont is by far the most beautiful mountain in the North Island, standing up as it docs in solitary grandeur from a plain sloping so gently from below as to seem nearly level. The finest view of the mountain is probably that from the due south, and seen from Hawera in clear weather it stands up like a cone from a gently-sloping wide base. Viewed from Stratford, wlr.eh is nearly due east, the contour is seen to be broken, as Fantham's Peak, a subsidiary cone, stands up to the south of the main peak to a height of 6438 ft. The main peak itself is more than a mile to the north, and is 8260 ft high. The whole mountain appears to rise evenly from the plain, but the upper part is seamed by razor-back ridges, which radiate down from the main cone. The shape of the mountain shows its comparatively modern character, as it is manifestly a volcano of somewhat recent growth, and looked at from below one can detect the lip of the crater.

To climb to the summit the most accessible track appears to be that from the Dawson's Falls House, a very convenient, comfortable, and well-managed hostel on (ho south-east side of the mountain. This is approached by a beautiful drive through four or live miles of bush. The house stands at an elevation of 5070 ft, so that the climb to the top of the mountain is quite easily manageable, and presents no special difficulty in fine weather, which, of course, is the only _ weather people should climb mountains in. The chief trouble is the scoria, which covers the surface for the last 3000 ft, and which is especially trying—at any rate to peopie who wear thin boots, the foothold is insecure, and each step forward on the scoria slopes is accompanied by a considerable slip backward, ?o that the going is heavy work. Before January there is often a* good deal of snow on the upper ridges and heavy drifts in the gullies. This is sometimes hard to climb, but, on the other hand, by judicious glissading the de:cent is made rapid and easy. Dawson's Falls are situated on the upper course of the Kapuni Stream, which, like all the watercourses in this neighbourhood, has cut a very deep bed for itself in the soft volcanic rock, in some parts running underground, until it meets with a hard" ledge, when it forms a waterfall. In drv weather very little water comes over the falls in two thin streams, but after heavy rain the rush of the torrent is very fine, as it leaps nearly 100 ft into the pool below. Tracks have been cut in various directions, and one leads directly down to the foot of the falls. In clear weather the views from the Falls House are very fine, and the range of vision is very great. To the north-east stand Ruapehu and Tongariro, some HO miles distant as the crow flies, while away to the south of the main chain of the Kai-. kouras is easily seen, the culminating peak of Tapaean'uka being fully 160 miles away. On clear nights, too, the lights of The"* Brothers and Stephen's Island are clearly seen. The whole upper part of the mountain has been proclaimed a reserve and sanctuary for native game, and this applies to introduced forms of life also, for guns are not allowed in the area. This reserve extends to a radius of six miles from the summit, The whole has been close fenced in order to exclude cattle; but unfortunately some unscrupulous people appear to have put some animals in on the New Plymouth side; but it is hoped that steps will be taken to destroy them, or they will do untold damage. If fire can be kept from entering the reserve, the bush will tend to thicken and improve. The bird-life is interesting, byt not very abundant vet. On a clear morning the daylight has hardly begun to come m. say at 3.30 a.m.. or even earlier, when the tuis beain to chant their morning belllike song.' which is followed soon after bv the familiar carol of the thrushes, which are here in increasing numbers. After the sun is up the grey warblers pipe out their sweet notes, while at intervals all dav long the tomtit or miro miro sings his short "bright lay. At this season while nesting is going on, the male bird gets out on the topmost twig of a bush or small tree and sings to his mate below. Another familiar songster is the goldfinch. As the dav advances most of the birds become silent, but the tui keeps busy among the flowering trees, but onlv warbles forth solitary notes. Occasionally one hears the chattering chirrup of a parrakeet or the familiar call of one or other of the cuckoos, while overhead kakas are not unfrequently seen and heard. We also noticed wood pigeons sitting quietly in the trees. What peautifully plumaged birds they are! On the open "ground on the mountain Caiifornian quail are fairly common. Hares appear to be common also, and no doubt black rats are common, but neither stoats nor weasels are much in evidence. Bofanically Mount Egmont is an interesting spot," and yet. compared with our Otago mountains, it is a singularly poor collecting ground. This is on account of the comparatively recent character of the country. The south-west corner of Otago is geologically the oldest part of New Zealand, and there has been time for very great changes to have taken place in the plants and animals of the country. Compared with it Mount Egmont is but of vesterdav. and tin's is reflected in the limited extent of its flora. It has, for instance, practically no distinctive plant. SHU. what it loses in number of species, it makes up for in the abundance of certain conspicuous flowering plants. The bush is a fine one, and contains many very noble trees, one of the most abundant'being the kamahi, which is so familiar *"* southern visitors. A most conspicuous

feature is ifce abundance of Scnccio kirkii, which often grows as an epiphyte on the rata. Its largo daisy-like flowers, which are nearly 2in across, are produced in largo clusters, and, as Cheeseman says, " the flower-heads are often so abundantly produced as to conceal the leaves, the multitude of snow-white rays then rendering the plant conspicuous from afar." _ Among the pndergxewth are many pretty little species, including no Jess than five species of Corysanthes. the small spiderlike orchids, which grow on the ground or among the moss of the tree trunks. C. miliaria, C. rotundifolia, (J. triloba, and the large C. macrantha were all past flower at the time of my visit there two or three weeks ago, and were well furnished with seed capsules. But on the underside of moss-covered rocks close down to the spray of the falls were great numbers of the pretty little C. oblonga. This is a singularly attractive little flower, and one member of the party was lost in admiration of it. Many years ago when I was looking into the mode of fertilisation of our commoner orchids, I devoted a good deal of attention to Corysanthes macrantha. I found that many of the flowers contained fragments of a small fly, and in one or two cases the whole insect was found inside the flower, glued to the rostcllum. I also caught several small red spiders within some of the flowers. But I was not able to notice the relationship between the spiders and the flies, which latter apparently were the agents in fertilising the flowers. While looking at the clusters of 0. oblonga we found the explanation. W» saw .several minute flies gyrating and hovering about in front of the flowers, but there were also numerous little spiders among the moss, and as soon as a fly came close to the mouth of one of the flowers, a spider was to be seen not far off evidently waiting for it. Some of ths. flies had- apparently white marks on theil heads, and by patiently waiting, we Wert able to catch, two of these insects, and found that the marks were the pollinia of the orchid. The flies have been sent for identification to Mr D. Miller, who is the principal authority in this country on the Diptera. Many other orchids-, Pterostylis", Caladenia, Chiloglottis, Thely-s mitra, etc., wore found, but this littia beauty was the gem of the collection. The epiphytic growths on the trunks 06 the trees included the usual Astelias, orchids (Dendrobium and Earina), filmy and other ferns, and abundance of mosses and liverworts. Bound at the New( Plymouth side of the mountain occurs that most interesting and remarkable of root* parasites, Dactylanthus taylori. Thsf plant is not nearly allied to any know\ species, and its exact structure has neve* vet been satisfactorily worked out. The flowers occur in tightly-packed fleshy cones, and have not been examined in a perfectly fresh condition. What is wanted is to get some placed in formalin as sson as gathered, and then their structure, could bo worked out at leisure. The botanical interest of Mount Egmont culminates in what is called the meadow, just above the bush and scrub lino andreaching up to the scoria beds. In December this zone is beautifully ornamented with flowers, not of many species, but with great profusion of individuals. The finest show is made by Ourisia macrophvlla. which bears several tiers ot whor'led'white flowers, not unlike Japanese primroses in a superficial view. Many of the plants were two feet- in height, with laro-e handsome leaves, and they were in thousands. Next in abundance to this queen among alpine flowers was the fine buttercup, Ranunculus insigms, equally high, with large thick leaves and great golden-yellow cups, which are sometimes nearly 'two inches in diameter. This ii also a beautiful plant. There are plenty of other interesting plants on this mono.tain side, Veronicas, Olearias, Euphrasia* Celmisias, etc., but these two bear th«

Anion" ferns the most interesting was kspidium cystostegia. which, though weU known to 'South Island collectors, h(M hHherto only hcen found on three North T.land mountain districts—namely, Mount Ivnnont, Toncariro, and the Tararuas. 'The only drawback to an otherwisa nearly perfect mountain resort is one that Mount Egmont shares with many another bush district, the sandflies, though small, were verv much in evidence, and were particularly attentive.