27

22
deemed their centre, or home. Further still, (in the midst of much
apparent dissimilarity, which, however, is daily lessening,) there is a
very great concord, or botanical affinity, between the vegetation of the
various islands lying in or about the same parallels of south latitude. A
belt around the globe, containing the Chatham Islands, Juan Fernandez,
South Chili, the Fuegian and Falkland groupes, Tristan d'Acunha, the
Cape, Kerguelen's Land, St Paul's Island, Tasmania, the South east coast
of Australia, Lord Howe's Island, the Middleton group, and Norfolk
Island, all contain the same genera, and in not a few instances (parti-
cularly in the smaller islands) the very same species. And this will be
much more evident when the whole of the Botany (i.e., including the
numerous smaller cryptogams, - Musci, Hepaticae, Algae, Fungi, and
Lichenes) of those countries is collectively considered; particularly of
those, however distant from each other, which partake the same isother-
mal and humid climate. If, instead of writing on the Botanical Geo-
graphy of the Northern Island alone of the New Zealand groupe, I were
writing on that of the whole groupe, and, at the same time, possessed that
necessary intimate botanico-geographical and geognostical knowledge of
the interior of the Middle and Southern Islands which I possess of the
Northern Island - I should be in a far better position for comparing the
botanical geography of New Zealand with that of other lands, lying
within or near the same parallels of south latitude than I now am; and,
from what I already know, I believe that hereafter, and only in some
such way, can the botanical geography of the New Zealand groupe be
truly and efficiently shown and compared. Nevertheless, this cannot
presently be done; for (to use the words of Dr Hooker) "the subject is
one that cannot be fully worked out without far more materials than
have hitherto been collected........... When the floras of the mountains
of South Chili, New Zealand, South Tasmania, the Australia Alps, the
Crozats, Prince Edward's Island, Amsterdam Island, St Paul's Island, and
Macquarrie Island," [and of all other islets lying south of 27o south.]
"shall have been properly explored," [together with their geology and
climate,] "the great problem of representation and distribution in the
South Temperate and Antarctic Zone will be solved.*

19. Referring again to those genera, which, though not endemic
possess characteristic New Zealand species, the following will be found
to be their geographical distribution, - including, also, a few species
that are identical - Myosurus aristatus, a plant of the Chilian Andes;
_____________________________________________________________
* Introductory Essay, Flora Nov. Zel., vol. L., p. xxxiii.