310 Transactions. — Botany. 



307, as against 474* in Great Britain (excluding in both cases 

 the Cyanophycea). Of course, the difference is to be attri- 

 buted in part to the greater completeness of the British list. 

 Australia, our nearest neighbour, is, on the other hand, re- 

 markably rich in its marine flora. Mr. Bracebridge Wilson 

 has collected at Port Phillip Heads and its neighbourhood no 

 less than five hundred species of Algas — a remarkably rich 

 harvest from one district. When we remember what a long 

 and varied coast-line New Zealand possesses we may, I think, 

 reasonably say that further search will probably considerably 

 enrich our flora. No collections have been made in the West 

 Coast Sounds since the time of Hooker's Handbook. Dredging 

 there would probably reveal a few, perhaps many, species of 

 Floridece. Eemembering the imperfections of our list, we may 

 roughly classify our species as follows : — 



Endemic to New Zealand . . . . . . . . 162 



Endemic to New Zealand and Australia . . . . 46 



Widely distributed over northern and southern seas . . 47 



Antarctic . . . . . . . . . . 31 



Confined to southern, or to southern and warmer seas . . 21 



307 



1 think that this list, however crude as a representation of 

 actual facts, will be found to be accurate as far as our present 

 knowledge goes. It, how r ever, requires a little explanation. The 

 definition of "antarctic" adopted is that given in the " Flora 

 Antarctica," vol. ii., p. 210, et seq. In the case of two or three 

 species out of the thirty-one, its application may be doubtful ; 

 but that it is correctly applied in the remaining cases will be 

 clearly seen shortly. Of the twenty species included under the 

 heading "Confined to southern, or to southern and warmer 

 seas," some four or five seem to be confined to New Zealand, 

 Australia, and South Africa; nearly all the others extend north- 

 wards into the tropics; one or two perhaps should be considered 

 as antarctic, but they are widely distributed. 



From the above table it will be seen that about 53 per 

 cent, of the known New Zealand species are endemic. it 

 might have been supposed that in such an old division of plant- 

 life specific stability would obtain through a considerable 

 length of time, geologically speaking, but this is manifestly 

 not the case. The fact that we have such a large proportion 

 of endemic species shows that here as well as elsewhere there 

 has been among the marine Algae considerable development in 

 comparatively recent geological times. We have, moreover, a 

 considerable number of variable species ; but here it is difficult 

 to say how 7 far the variations are due to the direct action of 

 the environment during the life of the individual, or to more 



* Revised List of British Marine Algoe, by Holmes and Batters. 



