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and with medium trunks) Cyathea dealbata; cushions of a small, dense-growing, green and brown plagiotropous moss, and many quite small seedlings of Senecio Kirkii. Other seedlings are Melicytus ramiflorus, Coprosma grandifolia, Rapanea Urvillei. Above these are a few straggling II i inmannia sylvicola, Beilschmiedia tarairi, and Senecio Kirkii, man-high, and some taller Leptospermum ericoides. Scattered more or less thickly in places is Blechnum capense of moderate size There is also tall Senecio Kirkii and straggling Styph, lia fasciculata. The St necio is very irregular in habit of groxvth, the stems bare and spreading, and xvith rosettes at the ends of the ultimate branchlets. On the Leptospi rmum is HymenophyUum sanguinolentum. Mixed with the Blechnum capense is Lycopodium densum. There are a fexv small Beilschmiedia tarairi seedlings. "As the ridge becomes steeper and drier all the members are much smaller. Trees of Knightia excelsa appear and become numerous, also many tussocks of Astelia trinervia. Leptospermum eiicoides is dominant. Here also are numerous young plants of kauri, totara, Dacrydium Kirkii, and above all Phyllocladus trichomanoides from mere seedlings to young trees. One juvenile rimu was noted. Pteridium esculentum is present here and there, a few seedlings of Beilschmiedia tawa, some Dianella intermedia, and an odd plant or so of Persoonia. Above all, the silver treefern plays a conspicuous part." To sum up, the association consisted chiefly of Leptospermum ericoides, Knightia excelsa, Weinmannia sylvicola, Phyllocladus trichomanoides; and, of lesser importance, Astelia trinervia, Cyathea dealbata, Styphelia fasciculata, young Agathis australis, Lycopodium densum, and Blechnum capense. As the kauri association proper is neared, Blechnum Frazeri enters in. Near the southern end of the Kohuroa Heath is a small transition piece of forest consisting in part of Leptospermum scoparium and in part of low forest-trees of the ordinary type. It is essentially distinguished by the presence of small Dacrydium cupressinum and Podocarpus totara, and by Persoonia torn on its outskirts, tliis latter just coming into bloom, ami noticeable through its brownish - green colour. Also close at hand is a different association, where Leptospermum is dominant. My notes say,— " Small, symmetrical, yellow-green, drooping Dacrydium cupressinum and Podocarpus totara of similar size, this latter with Polypodium grammitidis ami HymenophyUum sanguinolentum on the bark. The plants noted are Olea lanceolata, with dark-green, coriaceous, moderately-thick leaves; Beilschmiedia tawa; B. tarairi; Geniostoma; Senecio Kirkii; Knightia excelsa; Hedyvan/a arborea; Dysoxylum spectabile; Pseudopanax crassi folium; Olearia Cunninghamii; Weinmannia sylvicola; the climbing species of Metrosideros; Blechnum Frazeri; Alseuosmia macrophylla; l.itsea ralicaris; /i/evhuiim capense. In the Leptospermum forest we have l.eplosp, rmum scoparium. Knightia excelsa, Weinmannia. and seedlings of various kinds. On the floor is a close mass of Lycopodium densum and L. volubile. Also there is some Olearia Cunninghamii, Blechnum capense, and Astelia trinervia." C. THE NORTHERN HEATH. A very common plant formation in New Zealand is that in which the manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is the dominant plant, and to which 1 have in previous writings given the name of "heath." The consitituents of this formation vary considerably in proceeding from north to south, the species gradually getting fewer in number. The formation as it occurs in the northern floristic province is certainly worthy of a special name, and for this I have proposed the title of " the northern heath." This formation occupies large areas in the Auckland Provincial District at present of little use to the Dominion except as gumfields, and the turning of these into agricultural land is one of the most important problems confronting scientific agriculture in Nexv Zealand. The northern heath is fairly uniform as to its members, though certain species are confined to the far north, such as the curious parasite Cassytha paniculata. So far as the Waipoua Forest area is concerned, the heath plays no prominent part, certain patches being included in the south and xvest, while the summits of some of the hills — notably Omaia, Kohuroa, Huaki, and Tarahoka —are open spaces occupied by northern heath, and locally called " fern." The northern heath as a whole has never been described botanically, and requires a very detailed examination, both from the scientific and economic aspects. As. hoxvever, this report is intended to deal principally xvith the forest, the present account of the formation is purposely quite brief. . Resides the manuka, certain other plants are present in numbers, and assist in marking the physiognomy of the heath. The most important are—(Filices) Pteridium esculentum, Gleichenia circinata; (Lycopodiaceas) Lycopodium densum, L. later ale, in wet places; (Cyperacea?) Schcenus brevifolius, S. tendo; Lepidospcrma later ale; (Iridaceie) Dianella intermedia; (Cunoniaceas) Weinmannia sylvicola; (Rhamnacess) Pomaderris phyliccefoiia; (Myrtaoese) Leptospermum scoparium: (Epacridaceae) DracophyUum Urvilleanum. Epacris pauciflora, Styphelia fasciculata. Here and elsexvhere on the heath is Cordyline Banksii without trunks and of the tussock form. Were the heath elsewhere being dealt with, Pomaderris rlli/ifica and /'. Edgerleyi would have been also included. Generally speaking, this association within the foiest-area has been burnt again and again by the gum-diggers in order to clear the ground for their operations, the whole of the gumfields of northern Auckland belonging to this association: so it is possible that at the present time but little of the heath xvithin the forest area is in a virgin condition, though introduced plants have gained a foothold to so small an extent that it is probable that even after repeated burnings the heath reproduces itself much as it originally was, and the various stages of redevelopment give a valuable clue towards the evolution of the formation in general.