c.—e.

Vegetation. Tlie vegetation falls from the scenic standpoint into the following well-marked classes : Rain-forest associations (lowland, semi-swamp, montane-lower subalpine, upper subalpine), swamp communities, shrub associations (river-terrace, old moraine and river-bed, subalpine scrub), rock vegetation, subalpine herbfield (tall-tussock herbiield, shrub herbfield), and an alpine association confined to stony debris. Such classes are not of uniform composition and structure, but taken as a whole they serve one purpose of this paper —the relation of the plant-covering of the reserves to its scenery. The lowland forest is a part of that vast tree-community which extends the narrow coastal plain of Westland from the River Taramakau to near the River Paringa —at which point the southern beeches (species of Nothofagus) come in—and ascends to some distance on the slopes of hill and mountain. This absence of southern-beech (Nothofagus) for about 100 miles is one of many puzzles in New Zealand plant-geography, since the question arises, Was it ordinary Westland forest, or southern-beech forest which repopulated the land-surface at the close of the glacial period during the retreat of the ice ? The remarkable discovery by A. P. Harper in 1894 of a piece of pure Nothofagus forest (the species not identified) about 1,000 acres in extent, on the southern bank of the Karangurua at an altitude of some 1,700 ft. is of particular interest in this regard, for it lies some twelve miles northwards of the continuous Nothofagus area to the south, and is surrounded by typical upland southern-rata forest, only a few Nothofagus trees occurring on the northern bank. The question arises, Is this Nothofagus forest a remnant of a former much larger area, or is it an invader ? And with this question the matter must rest for the present. Lowland forest may be defined as one dominated by broad-leaved dicotylous trees and podocarps (frequently called " pines," but lacking dry cones). The only tall broad-leaved tree is the kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa), which frequently dominates (tig. 5), though in many parts podocarps abound, especially the beautiful rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), distinguished, even at distance, by its rather small head of yellowish pendulous branchlets. Associated with the tall trees are various small trees, groves of tree-ferns and shrubs of many kinds. Ordinary herbaceous and semi-woody ferns abound, including the exquisite crape-fern (Leptopteris superba) —• (Frontispiece); and the ground is carpeted with an indescribable wealth of mosses, liverworts, and filmy-ferns —a striking testimony to the frequent rain and the mild climate. In regard to Westland lowland forest in general, two small trees are characteristic — the Westland-quintinia (Quintinia acutifolia), an erect tree of slender habit with yellowish oblong leaves, 2 in. long or more, their margins waved and veins green, and their small pale-lilac flowers in racemes, and the hutu (Ascarina lucida), readily recognized and certainly to be admired with its almost black stems, dense habit, and extremely glossy green oblong toothed leaves, 1 in. to 2 in. long, which greatly resemble those of the puketea (Laurelia). The hutu is by no means everywhere, nor is the quintinia always present. Another interesting point to be noted is that three small trees all extremely common in New Zealand lowland forest in general are absent in Westland —the kahotu (Pittosporum tenuifolium), the tarata (P. eugenioides), and the whauwhaupaku (Nothopanax arboreum); but the iirst and last are each represented by a close relative —in the one case a variety of P. Colensoi, and in the other the ivy-tree (N. Colensoi). Westland forest, too, differs from that of the eastern and southern part of the South Island in the presence of lianes of the kiekie (Freycinelie Banksii) and the climbing ratas (Metrosideros scanderos and M. perforata), and the tussock-like epiphyte, the kokaha (Astelia Cunninghamii). In some places on the way to the glaciers, owing to the ground being too stony or too wet —but there will be other causes —tall trees are absent, and there is a tangle of slender branches of low trees and shrubs covered with epiphytic mosses, liverworts, and filmy-ferns (fig. 6). Where cuttings, &c., have been made on the roadside, nature in the moist climate soon covers the bare ground with a pleasing carpet of greenery, made up especially of certain ferns and lycopods : e.g., the piopio fern (Blechnum procerum)—its leaves several feet in length — the umbrella-fern (Gleichenia Cunninghamii), and the climbing club-moss (Lycopodium volubile). The montane-lower subalpine forest is dominated by the southern-rata (Metrosideros lucida), and may be called " southern-rata forest." It can be at once recognized by the billowy appearance of its roof. The kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa) is nearly as plentiful as the southern-rata, and in the association as a whole it frequently dominates. Near the terminal faces of the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers the association commences at about 400 ft. lower altitude than usual. Included in the small trees are the putaputawheta (Carpodetus serratus), the tree-tute (Coriaria arborea), the mountain ribbonwood (Hoheria glahata) most beautiful with its cherry-like white blossoms, the mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), the pate (Schefftera digitata), certain tree-daisies, and various ferns, including the green tree-fern (Hemitelia Smithii). With increasing altitude the less hardy species give out. A remarkable feature is the enormous numbers of the crape-fern (Leptopteris superba). " Would you believe," exclaimed Dr. A. W. Hill, Director of Kew, when speaking of his ascent of Aleck's Knob, " that for 1,000 ft. at every step I trod on Todaea (its old name) superba "—to him a marvellous experience, as he only knew it as a plant in captivity growing rather feebly in a moist atmosphere under glass. The upper subalpine forest, above which comes the entrancing alpine garden of white flowers, is specially distinguished by the abundance of the mountain-neinei (Dracopliyllum Traversii) already described, various daisy-trees with thick far-extending branches, and the false-manuka (Archeria Traversii), a heath-like small tree or shrub bearing small red flowers. Above this upper forest is a belt of varying width of shrubs growing one into the other with the tupare (Olearia Colensoi) frequently dominant and associated with other daisy-trees, various species of Coprosma (karamu), and the rather grass-like—so far as foliage goes—inanga (Dracophylhim longifolium).

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