CoLENSO. — On Neio Zealand Botany. 407 



hard and uncouth names), and coming to Urtica ferox = fierce 

 stinging-nettle ; PJiormimn tenax = tenacious basket-weaving 

 plant ; Ptcris esculenta = edible fern ; Arundo conspicua = 

 conspicuous prominent reed (and suchlike), the Bishop said, 

 " Now, this is what I like. In these names is contained intel- 

 ligent and useful information, even to a stranger or novice in 

 botany." 



The fascinating wonders of Nature are indeed greatly dis- 

 played here in this order to the inquiring mind and eye. 

 Here is to be seen the perfection of elegance and beauty in 

 her humblest productions. Permit me to more particularly 

 call your attention to the specialities of some of our genera of 

 this order — e.g., in form, so intricately aird finely compound, 

 almost bewildering, yet regular — Tricliocolea ; and, on the other 

 hand, so very simple — Symphyogyna : in size, Plagiochila, 

 some of whicli are large dendroid and tree-like, branched and 

 nearly 1ft. high, resembling small shrubs ; while others of 

 this same genus are very minute : in extreme fineness and 

 delicacy of structure— ^oo^:)sis and Psiloclada : in remarkable 

 close regularity, shape and position of their imbricated leaves — 

 Isotachis, Madotheca, Mastigohryum : in their charming rich 

 and varied colours (on the one plant), golden, orange, purple, 

 emerald-green, &c. — Polyotus : in elegance and richness of 

 superb cutting and fringing — Gottschea, Chiloscyphus : and, 

 generally, in their minute cells, their structure, shape, regu- 

 larity, and mathematical correctness ; in their endurance, 

 retaining life though daily heated and scorched, crisped and 

 dried up by the summer's sun ; in the excessive minuteness 

 and regular form of their microscopical spores (seeds), &c. ; 

 in the highly curious manner of the distribution of their 

 seeds when ripe, which is done by coiled and double-spiral 

 slaters, or springs. 



Not uufrequently, when alone in the low, secluded, damp 

 dells and gullies of the umbrageous forests, far away from man, 

 surrounded by these beautiful gems, and contemplating them 

 in their luxuriant perennial growth, their pleasing elegant pro- 

 fusion, and almost endless variety of forms, have I been led to 

 exclaim, — 



Who can this field of miracles survey, 



And not, with Galen, filled with rapture, say, 



"Behold a God ! adore Him, and obey "! 



And here I may briefly remark in passing (and so, possibly, 

 anticipate a question) that it is all one to me, at such times, 

 whether those many and varied, yet regular and symmetrical, 

 forms were produced by creation or by evolution. Eather, 

 however, would I set the consideration of that deep and diffi- 

 cult question aside that I might the more fully drink in and 

 enjoy the exquisite living scene before me. 



