caught by the branches, and its enormous weight snapped great boughs and occasionally completely stripped large trees of their crowns, forest in the warm temperate belt suffering particularly severely. This effect of snow, although on a smaller scale, is quite common in the cold temperate belt in fairly sheltered localities. Thus, about Mount Alpha Hut trees stand well spaced, often with almost bare trunks except for the small surmounting crowns. The stripping of branches, which does not affect all trees in the same year, accounts for the very erratic thickening of annual rings.

In the subpolar belt as much as 100 to 150 cm. of snow may fall at one time, and a somewhat greater thickness accumulates during winter months. The weight of snow, especially on the steeper slopes, has the effect of rolling down the vegetation. Further, where it accumulates, it lasts into the late spring, considerably shortening the growing season. Under it, formations similar to those of boggy ground occur. Particularly characteristic species are: Astelia linearis, Coprosma repens, Caltha novae-zeelandiae.