XX HISTORY OF 
and was issued in 1832, under the title of ‘‘ Essai d’une Flore de la 
‘Nouvelle Zélande,” accompanied by a folio atlas of plates. Richard 
included not only the species collected in the two expeditions of Duperrey 
and D’Urville, but also most of those obtamed by Forster in Cook’s 
second voyage. Altogether 380 species are enumerated, 211 of which 
are phenogams and 169 cryptogams, 51 of the latter being ferns. 
It is the first publication dealing with the flora of New Zealand as a 
whole, and possesses considerable merit, so much so that it is to be 
regretted that so little use of it has been made by New Zealand 
botanists. 
Early in the nineteenth century a trading intercourse sprang up 
between the North Island and Sydney, and by degrees a small European 
settlement began to form at the Bay of Islands. This led to occasional 
visits from colonial botanists and explorers, and much additional 
information was thus obtained respecting the flora. In 1825 Mr. 
Charles Fraser, Government Botanist and Superintendent of the 
Sydney Botanical Gardens, landed for a day in the Bay of Islands, 
and made a small collection of plants. In 1826 his successor, the 
indefatigable Allan Cunningham, paid a visit of over five months’ 
duration. Through the assistance afforded by the resident missionaries 
he was able to explore the greater part of the Bay of Islands district, 
and to visit Whangaroa and Hokianga, making extensive and valuable 
collections. In 1833 his brother, Richard Cunningham, arrived in 
H.M.S. “ Buffalo,” which had been sent to New Zealand by the Ad- 
miralty to obtain a cargo of kauri spars for experimental purposes. 
He also spent nearly five months in travellmg through the Bay of 
Islands, Whangaroa, and Hokianga districts. In 1838 Allan Cunning- 
ham paid a second visit, remaining at the Bay of Islands through the 
whole of the winter and early spring; but the precarious state of his 
health prevented all active work, and his collections were consequently 
small. He returned to Australia in October, 1838, utterly exhausted 
and worn out, as his biographer says, “‘ by twenty-five years of un- 
wearied exertions and laborious travel,” and after lmgering a few 
months, died at Sydney in June, 1839. 
During a short visit to England, Allan Cunningham had prepared 
for publication a sketch of the Flora of New Zealand, entitled “ Flore 
Insularum Novee Zealandiz Precursor; or, A Specimen of the Botany 
of the Islands of New Zealand.” The first part of this work appeared 
in the ‘‘ Companion to the Botanical Magazine,” Vol. 11. ; the remaining 
portions in the “ Annals and Magazine of Natural History,” Vols. 1, 
toiv. Init Cunningham enumerates the whole of the species published 
by Forster and A. Richard, including also some of Banks and Solander’s 
plants which had been described by other botanists. To these he adds 
the new species discovered during his first visit and that of Richard 
Cunningham. Altogether the “ Precursor” includes the names of 639 
species, of which 394 are phenogams and 245, cryptogams.':, Although 
