INSULAR FLORAS. 449 



existence of somewhat closer affinities between the floras of 

 China and Japan than were supposed to exist, and have 

 confirmed Maximowicz's description of the abrupt cessation 

 in Mandshuria of what may be termed the element of wide 

 distribution. A striking illustration of the truth of this 

 came under my own observation a few years ago. Mr. H. 

 E. M. James presented Kew with a collection of dried 

 plants made by him and his companions between Moukden 

 and Kirin. The flowering plants were determined (5), and 

 160, out of about 500, or nearly one-third of the species, 

 were common to the British Islands and Mandshuria. 



I have gone so far into particulars concerning the flora 

 of Japan, because it is an insular one, and because its 

 composition has been misunderstood by certain writers. 



With regard to the diversity of the New Zealand and 

 Australian floras, it should be borne in mind that it is 

 largely due to the poverty of the former, and the absence of 

 prominent Australian types, rather than the presence of 

 types not represented in the Australian flora. It is true 

 that there is a relatively large endemic element in New 

 Zealand, both generic and specific, but the nearest allies are 

 found in Australia and the outlying islands ; and many of 

 the most abundant and most conspicuous members of the 

 New Zealand flora belong to characteristic Australian 

 genera, or to genera equally common in Australia. The 

 following is a selection : Pittosporum, Uymenantkera, 

 Plagianthus, Pkebalmm, Pomaderris, Leptospermum, Me- 

 trosideros, Coprosma, Olearia, Ozothamnos, Stackkousia, 

 Stylidium, numerous Epacridese, Logania, Myoporum, 

 Atherosperma, Hedycarya, Persoonia, Pimelea, Exocarpus, 

 Fagus, Podocarpus, Dacrydium, numerous Orchideae and 

 Liliaceae, a few Restiacese, and Lepidospermum. The fore- 

 going list includes a few genera, such as Stackkousia, which 

 are abundantly represented in Australia, but rare in New 

 Zealand. 



Returning to the flora of Madagascar, I propose giving 

 a condensed account of the data afforded by the scattered 

 literature, and the copious collections of recent years. The 

 botanical exploration of the islands has not been the work of 



