Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 17.djvu/383

Rh forms the chief portion of a zone ranging from about 2,400 to 3,000 feet, extending up the valley of the Poulter and adjacent ranges. Between the Cass River and Bealey it is so strongly marked in contrast with the mountain beech that it can readily be descried from the terraces on the southern bank of the river. As its occurrence in the interior of Canterbury had been warmly denied, Mr. Blair, the Directing Engineer for the South Island, suggested that I should finally determine the point by an examination of the growing timber. When on a visit to the district in January, 1881, I had the pleasure of carrying out this suggestion in company with my friend Mr. J. D. Enys, and found the tooth-leaved beech occurring freely between the limits already stated, mixed with mountain beech which forms the greater portion of the forest. Most of the mature specimens were from 50 to 70 feet high, with clear unbranched trunks of from 35 to 45 feet, measuring 10 feet in girth at six feet from the ground. The oldest specimens were unsound in the middle, but the shell was firm and hard. Trunks cut down twelve years before the date of my visit and left on the ground were still perfectly sound, the logs retaining the wedges that had been driven to split them. Subsequently I examined a stock-yard fence constructed with timber cut at this spot at the time to which I have referred, and found all the posts of tooth-leaved beech in a perfectly satisfactory state, sound and good; while it had been found necessary to renew all the posts of mountain beech at the end of six years, and the renewed portion was in bad condition, requiring immediate replacement, many of the rails even being worthless.

This species is not found in the Oxford and Alford Forests, although reported to occur there by Mr. Robertson, who was instructed to examine those forests in October, 1876.

It descends to the sea-level in many localities, as Ahipara, Kawau, Omaha, Wairoa East, etc., but rarely in large quantities. It is more abundant and attains larger dimensions at elevations between 1,200 and 3,000 feet, and in a few localities ascends to 3,800 feet, which, so far as I am aware, is the greatest altitude which it attains.

A fine tree, sometimes attaining the height of 100 feet, but usually 60–80 feet, with a trunk from 2 to 4 feet or more in diameter. Branchlets