had travelled over every portion of it, was of opinion that in the neighbourhood of the Black Rocks, situate at the head of the Kaitoke Stream, there are remains of terraces similar in formation to the far-famed Pink and White of Rotomahana, only on a far grander scale. Having had little or no time for exploration where my duties did not take me, I was unable to determine their site; moreover, not being an expert in the matter, I might not have been able to recognise them. Not being anything of a botanist, I cannot describe the forest technically, but I think most of the trees found on the mainland grow on the island, and there are one or two peculiar to it—namely, the Barrier pine, which, when young, resembles very closely in appearance the macrocarpa, but when it grows up it loses this resemblance. Of birds, the tui and pigeon are the most numerous, and it is a curious fact, which perhaps has been noticed elsewhere, that the note of the former differs to a certain extent in different parts of the island. The sound of many tuis acting in concert in the dense forest on a bright morning has a very charming effect. We saw and heard a pair of bell-birds at the head of Whangaparapara Harbour, but they seemed to be very scarce. The pukeko also is heard, but very seldom seen, in the swamp at the northern base of Ahumata. This bird, which is apparently very weak on the wing, and flies with its legs dangling, is the most ubiquitous of all birds, as it is, I believe, found throughout Australasia; and its means of transit are as much a puzzle as that of the wingless waterfowl which inhabit most of our small lakes. My party found some bones on the beach at Owena which turned out to be those of a small species of moa, but how they came there it is impossible to say. This is interesting, as having been the first instance known of moa-remains being found off the mainland. To conclude, with all the advantages of climate, scenery, hot springs, and picturesque harbours, I cannot but think that in the future this island must become a sanatorium for overworked Aucklanders. At present there are not any roads, and the tracks are of the very roughest description; but all this will be remedied with an increasing population.