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Dracophyllum subulalum, Gaultheria rupestris, Leucopogon Fraseri. Podocarpus nivalis, Daorydium laxifolium, and Phyllocladus alpinus. There are also prominent the herbaceous plants Celmisia speclainlis, Celmisia longijolia, Celmisia incana, Celmisia glandulosa. Helichrysum bellidioides, Ourisia macrophylla, Ourisia Oolensoi, Euphrasia cuneata, Gentiana bellidifolia, and Ranunculus nivicola : Boa Colensoi, Danthonia Raoulii, and Hierochloe redolens abound. Carpha alpina is also much in evidence. The foregoing plants extend up through the boggy slopes almost uniformly to two or three hundred feet from the rocky summit (about 5,000 ft.), where there are only a few gaultherias, celmisias, dracophyllums. Tolara nivalis, Veronica tetragona, Coprosma depressa, Poa Coknsoij &c, with lichens and mosses, to represent the vegetable kingdom. In the valley lying between Hauhungatahi and Kuapehu are large patches of mountain-beech forest, between which are boggy spaces carrying the shrubs, herbs, &c, that other similar localities in the district carry. Travelling from Erua in a southerly direction to Pokaka, the same approximate altitude of 2,600 ft. is kept; and the predominating forest-trees are tawhero (Weinmannia racemosa), Olea lanceolata, Griselinia littoralis, Myrsine salicina, Panax arboreum, Carpodetus serratus, Elaeocarpus Hookerianus, Libocedrus Bidwillii, Dacrydium cupressinum, Podocarpus spicatus, Podocarpus ferrugineus, Podocarpus dacrydioides, and some Fagus Solandri; with the usual undergrowth of Coprosma tenuifolia, Coprosyna grandifolia, and Coprosma foelidissima, Drimys axillaris, Drimys colorata, Myrtus pedunculata, with an abundance of the ferns Todea superba, Aspidium aculeatvm var. vestitum, and Lomaria discolor. The u;iant astelia (Astelia, nervosa), Enargea marginata, and Cordyline indivisa now form prominent features in the forest. The Cordyline indivisa (mountain cabbage-tree) almost takes possession of any neglected bush-clearing, and forms beautiful avenues along the roadsides. It is a shame that this queen of lilies should have a name that associates it with the kitchen-garden. Unfortunately, my best picture of it was spoiled. In the accompanying photo it is represented by only small specimens. In this stretch of country lie the Makatotc* and Manganui-a-te-ao Gorges, and, being some 300 ft. deep, they naturally carry plants that are not seen on the table-land above. For instance, Fagus cliffortioides is found on the gorge-sides, Cladium Sinclairii, Dracophyllum longifolium, Coriaria ruscifolia, Coriaria thymijolia, Gaultheria rupestris, Gaultheria. antipoda, Lomaria vulcanica, Senecio latifolius, Olearia nitida, Arundo conspicua, Veronica catarractae, Ourisia macrophylla. Calceolaria repens, Carmichaelia flagelliformis, Leptospermum scoparium, Cyathodes acerosa, Raoulia tenuicaulis, Helichrysum bellidioides, and the subalpine plants Ranunculus insignis, Veronica Hookeriana, Gentiana bellidifolia, Celmisia spectabilis, Cassinia Vauvilliersii, and Senecio Bidwillii here and there make their appearance on the river-beds. Travelling due west from Pokaka Station, though the altitude remains about the same, the dominant Libocedrus gradually lessens, and at a distance of about three miles from tin , railway the forest approaches in constitution that growing at the 1.500 ft. level. The chief tree components are rimu {Dacrydium cupressinum), growing much more luxuriantly than in the last-described localities, matai {Podocarpus spicatus), miro (Podocarpus ferruginea), Weinmannia racemosa, Griselinia littoralis, Olea lanceolata, Myrsine salicina, Carpodetus serratus.. Pennantia corymbosa, Panax arboreum, Pseudopanax crassifolium, Elaeocarpus Hookerianus, Olea Cunninghamii, Panax Edgerleyi, Elaeocarpus dentalus, Podocarpus dacrydioides, Coprosma Colensoi, Plagianthus betulinus, and Dacrydium Colensoi ; the undergrowth is principally Aristotelia racemosa, Drimys colorata and I), axillaris, Fuchsia excorticata, Coprosma tenuifolia and G. grandijolia, Panax Colensoi, Myrtus pedunculata, Coprosma foetidissimxi,, Melicytus ramiflorus and M. Innceolatus, Brachyglottis repanda, and Coprosma parviflora. Tree-ferns are more plentiful, the chief being Dicksonia fibrosa, and Hemitelia Smiihii, with occasional Dicksonia squarrosa and Gyaihea dealbata. Of small ferns, Todea superba, Lomaria discolor, Lomaria fluviatilis, Lomaria lanceolata, Lomaria, Pattersoni, Lomaria capensis, Pteris incisa, P. scaherula, and P. aquilma, Hypolepis distans, Hypolepis tenuifolia, Asplenium falcatum, A. fl.accidum, and A. bulbijorum, Aspidium aculeatum var. vestitum, Polypodium Billardieri, P. novae-zelandiae, and P. grammitidis, IJ'ymenophyllum puhherrimum, 11. demissum, and H. rarum, are all plentiful. The liases are Ilubus australis.. />'. cissoides, and R. schmideloides, Muehlenbeckia australis and M. convplexa, Parsonsia heterophylla and /'. capillaris, Clematis indivisa, and Metrosideros hypericijolia ; the Rhipogonum scandens is still noticeable by its absence. The soil in this locality is still a light-brown volcanic loam. Progressing from Pokaka, still at the same altitude;, in a southerly direction to Horopito, one traverses between the Fagus and taxad zone ; on the west the forest is composed -mostly of rather stunted Dacrydium, cupressinum (rimu), Podocarpus spicatus (matai), Podocarpus ferruginea, Libocedrus Bidwillii (cedar), Podocarpus dacrydioides, and occasional Dacrydium Colensoi. Between the railway and the base of Ruape.hu the forest-trees arc mostly -Fagus, Weinmannia racemosa, Griselinia littoralis, Panax arboreum, Elaeocarpus Hookerianus, with an occasional rimu. kaikawaka. totara, and matai. The chief shrubs and smaller trees are Myrtus pedunculata, young Fagus Solandri, Panax simplex and P. anomalum, Coprosmn tenuifolia and 0. foetidissima, Myrsine dinaricata, Pseudopanax crassi/ol urn, Leucopogon fasciculatus, Cyathodes acerosa, Coprosma robusta, C. propinqua, C. Colensoi, ('. cuneata, and C. parviflora. Astelia nervosa is plentiful on the mossy floor. In this locality I found growing on a rotten tree-trunk one or two very, large specimens of the orchid Chiloglottis cornuta. At about three miles from the railway the Fagus Solandri gives place to the Fagus fusca and Fagus Menziesii, which continue to the outer zone of forest, where Fagus cliff ortioides takes their place, and becomes the dominant tree. Advancing from Horopito to Ohakune (which is 2,000 ft. high) the taxads again become more vigorous, and another more noticeable change is the occasional instrusion of wedges of rata (Metro-

* ".Makatote " (which in locally mispronounced "Makkatote") is a contraction of the Maori "Manga katote"miniya meaning a branch of a river, and kalote being the name of the tree-fern fhmitdia, Smithii.