11

c.—c

" From 5 to 10 miles, tawa, rata, and tawhero still predominate, with a good deal of heketara and the common bush shrubs, whilst ngaio, wharangi, akepiro, and Olearia Solmdri have disappeared ; there is less ake-rautenga, but occasional rimu and kahikatea come in. Tree-ferns are more abundant, and nikau fairly plentiful. " From 10 to 12 miles red-beech is seen on some of the spurs, but tawa, rata, and tawhero still are dominant; kowhai and karaka are scarce, the patete is plentiful, also lianes and the beautiful fern Lomaria capensis. " From 12 to 18 miles there have been several clearings on which mills have been erected, but none are at present working. In this stretch spurs with red-beech are inserted ; nikau palms, too, are plentiful. " From 18 to 23 miles, patete, houhou, and the wheki tree-fern become abundant; whilst karaka and rewarewa are absent, and other coastal trees rarer. " From 23 to 26 miles Banks's cabbage-tree and fuchsia are common, and mingi and neinei are noticed on the faces of red-beech spurs. " From 26 to 28 miles willows have taken up long stretches of the banks, and patches of sedge and toetoekakaho vary the scenery. " From 28 to 30 miles the valley becomes more confined, the stream is often rapid, and the spurs often end in bold precipitous cliffs. , Eed-beech is here more plentiful, there is a great abundance of tree-ferns and lianes, and pukatea, houhou, mahoe, fuchsia, heketara, and mangeao become more plentiful. " In different parts of the Mokau Valley some rare plants are found : at one place the Metrosideros florida, variety aurata (golden rata) is found ; the beautiful ferns Lindsaya viridis, and Marattia fraxinea (parareka, once used as food by the Maoris) were seen. There was no opportunity for a thorough investigation of the bush, but from the launch I recognised the following trees and shrubs, named in the order of their relative numerical importance : Rata (Metrosideros robusta), tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa), tawhero (Weinmannia sylvicola), pukatea (Laurelid novce-zealandice) , rangiora (Brachyglottis repanda), red-beech (Nothofagus jusca), hinau (Elceocarpus dentatus), rewarewa (Knightia excelsa), mangeao (Litsea calicaris), two tea-trees (Leptospormum scoparium and ericoides), raurekau (Coprosma grandifolia), kowhai (Sophora etraptera), puka (Griselinia lucida), houhou (Nothopanax arboreum), mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), patete (Schefflera digitata), karaka (Corynocarpus Icevigatus), akerautenga (Dodonea viscosa), houhere (Hoheria populnea), ramarama (Myrtus bullata), tipau (Myrsine Vrvillei), puriri (Vitex lucens), karamu (Coprosma lucida), heketara (Olearia Cunningharnii), putaputaweta (Carpodetus serratus), fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata), makomako (Aristotelia racemosa), tutu (Coriaria rusdfolia), koromiko (Veronica salidfolia), titoki (Alectryon excelsum), hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium), tarata (Pittosporum eugenioides), Pittosporum Huttonianum, Olearia Solandri, wharangi (Melicope ternata), kahikatea (Podocarpus dacrydioides), taunoka (Carmichailia australis), porokaiwhiria (Hedycarya denlata), rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), papapa (Alseuosmia macrophylla), lancewood (Pseudopanax crassijolium), matai (Prumnopitys spicata), mingi (Leucopogon fasciculatum), inaka (Dracophyllum, longifolium), neinei (Dracophyllum latifolium), tawheowheo (Quintinia serrata), miro (Podocarpus ferruginous), totara (Podocarpus Mara), ngaio (Myoporum Imtum), akepiro (Olearia furfuracea), Gorokia cotoneaster, waiuatua (Rhabdoihamnus Solandri) , and parataniwha (Elatostemma rugosum). Palms are represented abundantly by nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida). The kiekie (Freycinetia Banksii) is plentiful; and other climbers are Muehlenbeckia australis and csmplexa, Parsonsia heterophylla, Calyslegia tuguriorum, Passiflora tetandra, lawyer (Rubus australis), supplejack (Rhipogonum scandens), Metrosideros scandens, hypericifolia, florida, and florida variety aurata. (Arundo conspicua) toetoekakaho was seen ; Gahnia xanihocarpa and Cladium Sinclairii were seen ; Phormium tenax and Colensoi were seen. In ferns there were noticed Cyathea medullaris and dealbala, Dicksonia squarrosa and Hemitelia Smithii, Lomaria capense, Lindsaya viridis, Gleichenia Cunninghamii, and Marattia fraxinea ; there were numerous others, not identifiable from the launch. " Milling-timber. —lt may safely be said that for thirty miles from the mouth of the Mokau River for a width of 30 chains on each side of the river there is not enough marketable timber to warrant milling operations. In some few places there may be four or five kahikatea and rimu to the acre ; but in most places there are not more than two or three ; and in many places rimu is absent. It cannot, therefore, be claimed that a reservation of from 10 to 30 or 40 chains on each side of the banks will interfere with milling; for any milling-timber that there may be further back can be got at by roads of access that should be laid off wherever the valleys will permit decent grades. " Geology. —There was little opportunity for geological investigation, but from a cursory examination the lowest stratum that was exposed seemed to be the shale that is commonly known as papa; above this there were strata of sandstone of different hardness, and above the sandstones was a thick stratum of limestone that is said to be pure enough for lime-making. Near the heads were considerable deposits of fluviatile alluvium consisting mostly of sands and fine gravels. Mr. Paterson (who has made a study of the district) informed me that calcic phosphate had been found in the district, but that it was not pure enough to warrant working. Between the sandstone and papa there are in many places outcrops of a brown coal, which in one place is now being worked and shipped to Waitara and Wanganui. " Birds. —l must not conclude the nature notes of this sketch without reference to our feathered friends. From the start one is gladdened by the cheerful notes of the tui and the fitful antics of the fantail; and as one gets away from the settlement the beautiful native pigeon may often be seen swooping from tree to tree or lazily warming itself on some exposed branch. Along by the water's edge darts the kingfisher or kotaretare of the Maoris ; rounding some bend one comes suddenly on a brace of grey-duck or teal; gazing aloft one sees floating in the sky the kahu, or harrier ; now the