286 Transactions. — Botany. 



squalls with hail oi- sleet, of which winds the nature of the 

 arborescent plants bears abundant evidence. During my all- 

 too-short visit it drizzled at intervals, with the wind blowing 

 in squalls, between which occasionally the sun would peep 

 out for a few minutes. 



Although sealers and whaling-ships had frequently visited 

 the Antipodes Islands, and H.M.S. "Victoria" had called 

 there in November, 186-5, it was not until Kirk published an 

 account of their plants that anything definite was known 

 regarding the botany of the group. But prior to this import- 

 ant publication Some general facts were known about the 

 vegetation, for Captain J. Fairchild had reported, as a result 

 of his visit in 1886, that the whole island was covered with 

 a coarse grass, and that no bushes or wood of any kind was 

 found (90), meaning by this latter that there were no trees or 

 large shrubs. 



Reischek, the ornithologist (89, p. 386), who visited Anti- 

 podes Island in January, 1888, states regarding the vegetation 

 that it " consists of tussock-grass with some cotton-plants, 

 aniseed, and veronicas intermixed with it, and that there is 

 no bush whatever. The tussock-grass all grows in humps, 

 except on the tops of the hills, where there is shorter." The 

 "cotton-plants and aniseed" would be Ple-urcphyUum and 

 Ligusticitm, while probably the "veronica" would be Co- 

 prosma, though there is no reason why V. benthami might not 

 be eventually found on the island. 



Kirk's account is quite short, occupying only four ))ages 

 octavo, and includes a list of the plants which he had collected 

 or noted — viz., forty-one species of spermaphytes, of which 

 two are introduced plants, and twelve species of ptei'idophytes. 

 Two endemic species new to science were discovered — Senecio 

 antijyoda, a quite remarkable plant, and Gcntiana niitipoda, 

 which is related to the other gentians of the Southern Islands. 

 It is impossible to say how much of the island Kirk examined, 

 but, judging from his remarks and bearing in mind the diflB- 

 cult nature of the ground owing to the closeness of the large 

 tussocks, he could hardly have penetrated to any great dis- 

 tance from the landing-place. 



Chapman, however, who visited the island on the same 

 day as Kirk, reached the summit of Mount Galloway, and 

 describes it as "clear ground, matted with Pleurophylhrni 

 and low-growing Ligusticnm. Owing to fog we failed to see a 

 clear lake* said to exist there. There was a good deal of flat 

 ground up there, which was literally alive with albatroses." 



Owing to the short time at my disposal, I was only able to 



* This lake was reported by Mr. W. Dougall as covering an area of 

 13 or 14 acres (14, p. 200). 



