10 NEW ZEALAND PLANTS. 
excellent work not only in the alpine belt, but in other parts of 
the region; but space forbids further details, with the exception of 
mentioning the work of Dr. Lauder Lindsay, who botanized in eastern 
Otago, and published a most interesting account of that area. 
Dr. Sinclair collected plants in various parts of the North Island 
and in the mountains of Nelson. He was associated with Haast in 
an exploration of the Rangitata, but was drowned in attempting to 
ford its treacherous waters. “Near the banks of the river, just 
where it emerges from the Alps, with the perpetual snowfields. 
glistening in the sun, amidst veronicas and senecios, and covered 
with celmisias and gentians, there les his lonely grave,” writes 
Haast. Sir Joseph Hooker considered Sinclair as second only to 
Colenso as a botanical explorer, which is indeed high praise 
Mr. Bidwill’s explorations began so early as 1839. He made 
the first collection of alpine plants in New Zealand, in what is now 
the Tongariro National Park and its environs, and an interesting 
account of his travels appears in his little book, ““ Rambles in New 
Zealand,’ which was published in 1841. Forstera Bidwillii and other 
plants bear his name. 
The extremely interesting mountains of Nelson, whose flora 
differs in many respects from that of the dividing range farther 
south, and has some affinity with that of the North Island 
mountains, were explored, independently of one another, by Monro 
and Travers, and also by Bidwill, each adding considerably to our 
knowledge of the species of the alpine seed-plants. The name of 
Monro is seen in many species of plants (e.g., Celmisia Monror), 
and after Travers was called the genus Traversia, which by some 
is now merged in Senecio. 
Sir Julius von Haast first made known the alpine flora of 
Canterbury, and, in part, of Westland, which is still largely a terra 
incognita, making every use of his opportunities as Provincial 
Geologist. According to Hooker, he contributed more new species 
to the flora than any collector since Colenso. The name of a genus, 
Haastia, is a slight tribute to his exertions. As Cheeseman states, 
Haast’s botanical results “cast a flood of light on the nature and 
distribution of the alpine flora.” 
Farther south, Sir James Hector and Mr. John Buchanan per- 
formed a large amount of careful and arduous work, and collected for 
the first time the alpine plants of the Fiord Botanical District. 
