62 Transactions. 



originally came from Catlin's River (South Otago Botanical District), in 

 which the raceme is 31 cm. long, while near its base the bracteoles are 

 large and leaf-like. But such unusual development is a teratological matter, 

 and, though a specific character of the variety under certain unknown 

 conditions, does not appear under ordinary circumstances. 



II. Phytogeographic. 



The Proposed Botanical Districts oj New Zealand. 



In certain papers published by me last year in the Transactions oj the 

 New Zealand Institute some of the botanical districts proposed in my yet 

 unpublished Vegetation oj New Zealand were cited and defined. As 

 for the future I intend to use these " districts " when stating the distri- 

 bution of plants, rather than the quite unnatural areas — the political pro- 

 vincial districts of New Zealand- — hitherto used by me in common with 

 other New Zealand botanists, it seems necessary to give a list of such 

 districts, together with the boundaries of each, which can be still more 

 easily seen on the accompanying map (p. 63). These districts are merely 

 provisional, and will be subject to considerable modification for years to 

 come. Further, I am not stating here my reasons for having adopted these 

 subdivisions, accompanied by the necessary details, but reserve them 

 for a further communication. Suffice it to say that in the delimiting 

 of a "district" an attempt has been made to mark off natural areas 

 which are distinguished principally by the following circumstances — some 

 floristic (these the most important, since the districts are essentially 

 floristic), some ecological : (1) The presence of a more or less extensive 

 locally endemic element ; (2) the absence of species more or less charac- 

 teristic of adjacent botanical districts ; (3) the presence of species of 

 restricted distribution elsewhere ; (4) the presence in abundance of wide- 

 spread species much rarer elsewhere ; (5) the relative abunbance of the 

 various species comprising the fiorula ; (6) the general physiognomy of 

 the vegetation; (7) the presence of special characteristic plant - asso- 

 ciations ; (8) the differences in widespread plant- formations ; (9) the 

 agriculture, horticulture, and introduced plants of the proposed area. 

 Here only the two main islands, their adjacent islets, and Stewart 

 Island receive consideration. Some of the "districts" must ultimately be 

 subdivided into subdistricts, while others may be united ; and in all there 

 are distinct altitudinal belts, each with its special floristic and ecological 

 peculiarities. 



The actual boundaries of many of the districts are extremely hard to 

 fix, and in no few cases must always be artificial, though that detailed 

 research which must take place in due course as phytogeographic workers 

 increase in number will eventually find out the most natural limits. On 

 the other hand, there are certain well-marked natural boundaries, of which 

 the line marking the supposed average limit of the western rainfall in the 

 South Island, as defined by junction of forest and grassland on the east of 

 the dividing range, is the best example. Cook Strait, on the contrary, is of 

 slight importance as a dividing-line. 



The following are the names of the proposed botanical districts, and 

 their boundaries : — 



(1.) The Three Kings Botanical District.— -This comprises the various 

 islets of the Three Kings group. 



(2.) The North Auckland Botanical District. — This includes all that 

 portion of the North Island lying to the north of and including the Auckland 

 Isthmus (excepting the Cape Colville Peninsula and the two Barrier Islands), 



