Cockayne.— Botanical Excursion to Southern Islands. 229 



tion regarding the plants of the Snares and Antipodes Islands, 

 using certain Maori or colonial names for the plants. Amongst 

 others, he stated that there was abundance of the " McQuarrie 

 cabbage " — " of fine growth, the leaves measuring two feet in 

 diameter." Now, the above name is also given to Myosotidium 

 nobile, of Chatham Island, and this has led to a curious 

 mistake, for it was concluded that this latter plant was the 

 one in question. Hence arose the statement that Myosotidium 

 occurred both on the Snares and Chatham Island, a 

 somewhat remarkable distribution had it been so. Kirk," 

 e.g., described Myosotidium as abundant on the Snares, and 

 this most pardonable error has been copied into all works 

 on general plant -geography. In 1865 the Victorian Go- 

 vernment s.s. "Victoria," commanded by Captain Norman, 

 visited the Auckland, Campbell, and Antipodes Islands, land- 

 ing various domestic animals and planting certain trees, 

 details regarding which are given further on. Finally, pro- 

 vision-depots and boat-sheds were erected for the use of 

 castaways by the New Zealand Government. In connection 

 with these depots the " Hinemoa " or some other boat visits 

 all the islands, excepting Macquarie, twice a year, this latter, 

 although biologically, yet not politically belonging to New 

 Zealand. The depots were built at different times. Captain 

 Bollons writes to me, " Provisions were left in various places 

 in cases as early as 1865, but the present boat-sheds and depots 

 date from 1887." In connection with these depots cattle, 

 sheep, and goats have been landed from time to time, and 

 seeds of exotic plants sown, both most important matters for 

 the indigenous vegetation. More important still was the En- 

 derby Settlement in the year 1850, which lasted for three 

 years, during which time three hundred people resided in the 

 north of Auckland Island and on Enderby Island. Then 

 many domestic animals were introduced, portions of the forest 

 were cleared, grasses were sown, and gardens made. But by 

 far the most important event, so far as the plant-life is con- 

 cerned, has been the establishing a sheep-run on Campbell 

 Island in 1896, the effect of which upon the vegetation is de- 

 scribed at some length further on. 



Up to the time of my visit all the botanical observations in 

 the Southern Islands had been made in spring or summer. It 

 was therefore with very great pleasure that I joined the 

 " Hinemoa " at Lyttelton in the middle of June, 1903, for the 

 purpose of making a winter botanical excursion to the islands, 

 the winter aspect of the vegetation as a whole being undp- 

 scribed and, so far as the endemic plants were concerned, un- 

 kuov/n. 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. x., p. 410. 1878. 



