9 JOURNAL OF A NATURALIST 
eastern to the western shores, which lie in the parallels of . 
38° and 39°, are absolutely wholly unknown, for no Bota- 
nist would deem it prudent to attempt a penetration, what- 
ever his zeal may be, to its inland districts through which 
extirpating civil wars so extensively rage; when we glance 
at the map and perceive its snowy peaks, and especially that 
of Mount Egmont on the immediate western coast, the apex 
of which towers 14,000 feet above the ocean, whose waves 
wash its base, the upper part from the peak downwards 
to an extent of 5000 feet being clothed with eternal 
snows; in fine, when we reflect upon the fact, that (ex- 
cepting at its northern shore in Cook’s Strait and at 
Dusky Bay on its south western coast) the Botany of the 
larger or middle island is, to this day, veiled from our know- 
ledge, we cannot but exclaim at the rich store of vegetable 
productions which yet remains to be laid before us! For the 
“© Precursor” contains perhaps but a tithe of what may one 
day be shown us; but a foretaste to excite our desires to be- 
hold what the future labours of Botanists may, it is hoped 
ere long, lay open to our eyes. Long since has that learned 
Botanist, Mr. Brown, remarked that the character of the 
New Zealand Flora known to us chiefly from the materials 
collected by Sir Joseph Banks, is to a considerable degree 
peculiar, although it bears also a certain affinity to those 
of the two great countries between which it is situated, and 
approaching rather to that of Terra Australis than to South 
America.” 
Since the period at which the above was written many plants 
from New Zealand have been communicated to me by Mr. 
Colenso, Mr. Edgerley and Dr. Logan, constant residents in 
the northern island; and Mr. Bidwill, Dr. Sinclair, Dr. Dief- 
fenbach and Dr. Hooker collected during their casual vi- 3 
sits:—I cannot give a better idea of the value of their - 
communications than by saying that whereas no species of - 
Beech tree had ever been known to inhabit this group of : 
islands, four distinct kinds have been brought to light by 
these researches, and are already published in our “Jcones Plan- 
