HOW 'I 1 UK STOIJY HAS BEEN WRITTKX. 23 



pul)lished many observations on botanical matters, and wrote a work 

 on the grasses of New Zealand, in which life-size figures of all the 

 species of that family, as then known, are given. He also paid a 

 short visit to Campbell Island. 



The earlier work of Lyall must not be omitted. In 1847-49, as 

 surgeon to the survey ship ' Acheron," he collected very largely 

 on the New Zealand coast, paying especial attention to the lower 

 plants. It is a remarkable fact that a plant originally discovered 

 by him. and most plentiful on the shores of Foveaux Strait, Euphrasia 

 r<'i><-ns. is almost wanting in herbaria. The genus Lyallia of Kerguelen 

 Land was founded in his honour ; but to us his name is better known 

 through the magnificent buttercup, Ranunculus LyaUii. 



MODERN NEW ZEALAND BOTANY AND THOMAS KIRK. 



The publication of Hooker's Handbook brings us to what may be 

 called the modern stage of New Zealand botany. Here the late Mr. 

 Thomas Kirk stands foremost. For many years he held the position 

 of leader of botanical thought in New Zealand, and was not only an 

 industrious collector, but a prolific writer, as is proved by the 140 

 papers to his credit in the Transactions, so say nothing of publications 

 elsewhere. He also wrote the " Forest Flora of New Zealand." which 

 is the classic so far as our trees are concerned. At the time of his 

 lamented death he was engaged on a new Flora of New Zealand, which, 

 to the great loss of science, he did not live to complete. Fortunately, 

 one-half \vas finished, and, although it lacked the correcting hand of 

 its author, it will stand as one of the foremost publications on New 

 Zealand fioristic botany. Other workers there have been to whom 

 New Zealand botany owes much - notably, Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, 

 the author of the admirable ' Manual of the New Zealand Flora " ; 

 and Mr. D. Petrie. who has added much to our knowledge of the 

 plants of Otago but most of them are still active, and their work 

 is speaking for itself to the scientific public. 



From this short sketch, which does but scant justice to the history 

 of botanical research in New Zealand, it can be seen that our knowledge 

 of the flora has been a thing of slow growth, and that it represents the 

 labour of many men. Such arduous work has. for the most part, 

 brought little, if any, pecuniary gain to its votaries, and in many 

 cases still less recognition from their fellow-colonists, or even from 



3 -Plants. 



