KAPITI ISLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81870, 20 October 1906, Page 4

KAPITI ISLAND.

ITS FLORA AND FAUNA. A NATURALISTS VISIT. SOME IMPRESSIONS. Dr Cockayne, the well-known na.uralist, returned to Wellington n Wednesday after spending a fori .light on Kapiti Island, which lie vsi'ed on behalf of the Government in order to make a b.tanical survey. interviewed by a "New Zealand fimes'j'' representative, Dr Cock ayne had some interesting observalions to make as a result of his vist.

"The old method of investigating die vegetation of places,'' remarked Or Cockayne, "was simply to make a list of the plants and try to find out so-called new species. But that no .onger satisfies modern requirement. Modern botany demands that you shall study the plants as they glow. and as living organisms—that vou hall try to find out how they got to >\here they are; how they are joined together in association-; and whai ieatures these various plant: possess in order that they can live n their present surroundings. I was the first man in the Southern Hemisphere to work botany on the e lines.

"There are three inlands set apart Dy the New Zealand Government a* .tatural museums, where the plans and animals are living in their primitive condition—Little Barrier Island .5 a magnificent example of the almost extinct flora of Northern Auck-

land. Resolution Island is an example of the Western Oiago flora, Jihich ;<"mtlcn more" sub-antarctic in character; whiter Kapiti represents a portion of the flora of that part of New Zealand to which I have given the name of the Central Province, and which lies between latitude 38 in the North and about the latitude of Weapon in the South, Cook Strait forming no barrier whatever between the floras of Wellington, Nelson, and Marlborough. With regard to this line. latitude 38, there is one very in-.ere-ting point. The plants north of this line are very largely Australian, and the earth-worms are Australian also; while south of this line ihe earth-worms are South American, >ome, for instance, being almost identical with those of Tierra del I'uego and Kerguelen Islands. "One of ihe peculiarities about 'he Kapiti forest is that it Xontains no shrubs of any kind, the shrubbery growth so common in Xew Zealand forests being represented by "young specimens of the ordinary forest trees. There are very large examples of the rata, which raise themselves many feet above the general level of he forest, and in more than 60 per cent of cases these trees which reach above forest roof are either killed outright or only their bases remain. The forest of Kapiti, as seen from the ex■erior, presents a studv in greens. There is the dark, glos-v green karaka; the pale, yellowish green mahoe; the bright, glossy green 'melicote ternata"; and large areas of the dull, almost brownish green of the manuka, while here and there the scene is brightened by the wealth of white blossoms of a species of olearia. The majority of the trees of Kapiti bear juicy berries, and this is a most important matter on an island where •he protection of native bird life is an essential.

'Speaking of the birds. The morepork owl is wont to sit on the roof of the caretaker's house. On neighboring trees congregate the beau'iful pigeons; everywhere in the bush can be heard the sonß - s „f r,j r( t s and the whirl of wings. The robin -ihe 'bushman's friend" a- It.-- s <\,lir-d—is, strange to s,,y. the South [Hand, and not the X<Ttf> Island spe- !<•!<■>. On 'he l.ig.x.n at the north ,mi of the island ar*- ducks and teal. Mutton bird- make tlvir home near the -ummit of the mighty precipice which flank- the whole western side of the Hand. In holes near the -]iorc the blue penguin has its nesting place. ''Kapiti. tr.n, i s interesting from tho human standpoint. Here iln> fierce T" Runparaha in days K ,,ne l, v had his stronghold: here in the ' arlv (lay- toiled the intrepid whalers. It may be said that this plant and animal sanctuary i- net merely a most important asxn to New Zealand, but ils being -et apait f<>r rant purpo-c ha? b'en applauded and welcomed by the scientists of many nations. It is

-nic-erely t" be hop"d that no stone will be left unturned to keep it intact. and as nearly a* possible in it- virgin condition.''