52 Pnfers and Ahatmcts. 



(a) the Malesian Province (Malesicum), {b) the Indo-African Province (Indo- 

 Africanum). (2.) The Cape of Good Hope Province (Capensis). (3.) The 

 Holoarctic Province (Holavctis). This comprises the frigid and temperate zones 

 of the Northern Hemisphere. It is subdivided into (a) the East-Asian Province 

 (Oriasiaticum) ; (6) the Central Asian Province (Centralasiaticuni) ; {r) the Medi- 

 terranean Province (Mediterraneum) ; (d) the Eurasian Province (Eurasiaticum). 

 which extends from Iceland to Kamtchatka ; (e) the North American Province 

 (Septamericanmn). (4.) The Neotropical Floral Kingdom (Neotropis). This in- 

 cludes Central and South America, excepting that portion of the latter belonging 

 to the next floral kingdom. (.'J.) The Antarctic Floral Kingdom (Antarctis). This 

 comprises Fuegia, southern Patagonia, south-west Chile, the Subantarctic Islands, 

 including those of New Zealand and Antarctica. (6.) The Australian Floral 

 Kingdom. 



The Malesian Province and the Antarctic Kingdom specially concern New 

 Zealand. The former extends from Ceylon on the west through the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and puts out three arms eastwards and southwards. The middle arm is 

 the richest. It includes Melanesia from the Solomon Islands by way of the New 

 Hebrides and New Caledonia to New Zealand. The eastern arm includes Micro- 

 nesia and Polynesia. The western arm crosses to Australia, and extends along 

 the east coast in a narrow band southwards, so that a trace reaches Tasmania. 



New Zealand appears both geographically and biologically to be the remains 

 of an area almost continental in extent, which may have extended to Norfolk 

 and Lord Howe Islands. But the groundwork of the floia may be considered 

 Malesian, though the formations, through the great variation of surface, &c., of 

 the islands, are of many kinds, and bear a distinct stamp owing to the extreme 

 abundance of Co/iiffiiaf. ferns, and certain other groups which do not require a 

 hot climate. The north and the very moist soiath-west coast are occupied by 

 rain - forest, but the east by heath, grassland, and dry open pasture ("trift- 

 land "). The high mountains of the south offer a sharp distinction between the 

 vegetation of their windward and lee slopes. 



Besides the Malesian floral element, one altogether different appears the 

 further south one goes, or the higher one ascends. It occurs also in Tasmania 

 and on the higher land of east Australia, shows a strong affinity to the extreme 

 south of South America, and for a long time has been known as Antarctic. 

 This element dominates the alpine floras of New Zealand and Tasmania, but 

 in the lowlands the part it plays is too trifling to make desirable the separation 

 of New Zealand from Palaeotropis. 



The author regards the Auckland and Campbell Islands as the last remnant 

 of a mountain-axis which extended to New Zealand proper. As for the Antarctic 

 flora in general, it is considered a remnant of one much more extensive which 

 formerly occupied the Antarctic lands, and whose traces still remain in the fossils 

 of Sevmour Island and the remains of trees on Kerguelenland. L.C 



5. On the Fossil Osmundaceae, Bv R. KirlKtmi and D. T. Cwynne- 

 Vaughan. (Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinb., vol. i5, pp. 759-TO ; Vol. 46, 

 pp. 213-32 and 651-67; vol. 47, pp. 455-76, pi. 22. 1907-10.) 



This most important memoir gives detailed descriptions, illusti'ated by admir- 

 able microphotographs, of a number of stems of fossil ferns referred by the aiithors 

 to the Osmundaceae. 



Two of the s])crimeiis described were discovered in (certain Jurassic rocks 

 near Oore, Southland, the one by Mr. II. Dunlop, formerly of Orepuki, and the 

 other by Mr. R. Cibb. Both plants arc described as new species, under the 

 names of Osm\ind\t(:< Duidojii and O. (HhhiaiKi respectively. 



The two specimens agree in all essential characters witli (lie slcin.s nl' tlie 

 modern Osinunduei'ai . 



An examination of the di.stribut inn ot the xiiiious sclemlic strands that occur 

 at the base of the fully developed petiole of a number of living species of 

 Osmundaceae showed that it was characteristic of, and practically constant in, 

 each species examined, but it varies sufficiently to be suitable for a mark of com- 

 parison. .Judged from this standpoint, the leaf -base of 0.<inu)idife--< J)ii>do/ji 

 comes very near that of Tndea hnifjord of the present New Zealand flora ; while 

 that of d. Gihhiana, although in some respects unique, approaches nearest to O. 

 regalia and O. jacanica, 



