SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. [Preface. 



Most of the reports have been prepared by persons resident in New Zealand, 

 but it will be seen from the list of contents that some of them are due to the kind 

 co-operation of specialists in England and Europe. 



Professor W. B. Benham, Dr. L. Cockayne, and Mr. G. A^ Hudson have acted 

 as sub-editors for Zoology, Botany, and Entomology respectively, and have greatly 

 assisted in the distribution of the specimens and in the preparatory work of securing 

 the reports upon them. The Institute is indebted to Professor L. Diels, of Marburg 

 University, for distributing the Cryptogams and securing their identification by the 

 leading authorities in Europe. 



The warmest thanks of the Institute are also due to Mr. John Mackay, 

 Government Printer, and to his various officers for the extreme care they have 

 taken in the production of the work, and their unfailing courtesy in all the 

 negotiations connected therewith. 



For assistance in the preparation of the Index I am indebted to Dr. L. Cockayne, 

 and Messrs. R. Speight and E. R. Waite. 



When first urging their proposals upon the Government, it was stated by the 

 Philosophical Institute of Canterbury that the subantarctic islands of New Zealand 

 were already so closely associated with the names of Sir James Ross, Sir J. D. Hooker, 

 and other early explorers, and were so important in their bearing on the question 

 of the origin of the New Zealand fauna and flora, that the members of the Institute 

 looked upon the more complete investigation of these islands as an imperative 

 duty, especially considering that the other antarctic and subantarctic regions had 

 recently been investigated by the different antarctic expeditions. The Council of 

 the Institute presents this work to the public in the hope that it may be accepted 

 as evidence that an attempt has been made to discharge some part of this duty. 



CHAS. CHILTON, 



Editor. 

 Philosophical Institute oj (Unitrrbiirij, 



Christchurch, N.Z., \i)th December, 1909. 



