BIRDS - NEW CALEDONIA L. Macmillan Page 108 MT. PANIE - WEST FACE OR INLAND SLOPE. BY DISTANT VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT. This face of the mountain is much less rugged and rises more gradually. It seems to be covered with a solid stand of tall forest and appears an extremely interesting area, probably the best area in New Cal. for bird life. From 3 thousand ft. up to the summit on that face the forest appears to be 80% kauri pine and below that level a narrow strip of shorter forest seems to occur but from 2500 ft. to the valley bottom at about 400 ft. a.s.l. it appears to be a tall forest and very dense. In the actual valley bottom appear a few scattered patches of Noulie forest but these were nowhere extensive. Further mountain ranges occur to the west with a mixed type of habitat but none of these mountains rise much above 1000 ft. To the north Mt. Panie carries on in three peaks which all reach the 5 thousand ft. mark or close to it, All appear identical with Panie in vegetation. Far to the west the coastal flats which appear at the distance to be scanty Noulie and grass paddocks (grazing properties) may be seen and the fringing reef of that coast is visable. To the north at some distance two high peaks rise, one at the back of Oubatch on the east coast and one at the back of Gomen on the west coast. Both appear to be forest covered and to rise to about 4000 ft. SUMMIT OF MT. PANIE. Is formed of two slightly lower peaks which are razor backs which come up the ridge from the SE these are not much below the highest peak of Panie and are close to it. The highest peak is a small plateau in the NW corner as it were. From here the ridge decends into a saddle