5 
“Flora of Socotra,” Collett’s “Flora Simlensis,” and Aitchinson’s “ Botany 
of Afghanistan.” Altogether, nearly five thousand of her drawings have 
actually appeared in various well-known publications. I think that all 
capable judges will agree with me in saying that the plates contained in 
these volumes will enhance her already well-earned reputation. The posi- 
tion of lithographer was accepted by Mr. J. N. Fitch, widely known for 
his excellent lithographic work in ‘all branches of natural science. The 
actual printing of the plates was entrusted to West, Newman, and Co. 
As it was obviously impossible, except in a few special cases, to send 
proofs of the artist's drawings or of the hithographer’s work backwards 
and forwards between England and New Zealand, it became necessary to 
select some experienced botanist resident in England to act as supervisor. 
Tt must be regarded as a fortunate circumstance that the services of 
Mr. W. B. Hemsley, F.R.S., late Assistant Director of the Royal Gardens, 
Kew, were available for the purpose, for Mr. Hemsley’s wide reputation 
as a botanist, and his long experience in editing and supervising the 
publication of botanical works, gave his assistance a special value. His 
duties were to approve the artist’s sketch, to control the dissections and to 
indicate their arrangement on the plate, to pass the finished drawings, to 
receive proofs of the lithographs, and finally to pass for printing. In 
addition to the above, Mr. Hemsley was kind enough to make several com- 
parisons with the specimens preserved in the Kew Herbarium with the 
object of establishing the identity of the material figured with the actual 
type of the species. 
My own share of the work may be briefly described as follows: To 
prepare the general plan and to select the plants to be figured; to obtain 
and forward a full series of specimens of each species for the use of the 
artist, including in this material flowers and fruits in spirits, photographs, 
notes, and all information required to give a proper idea of the plants to 
be drawn; to take care that each species was accurately labelled and its 
position in the series of plates indicated; to conduct. the correspondence 
with the artist and supervisor, and to advise them on all matters con- 
nected with the progress of the work; to write the printed matter accom- 
panying the plates, and to prepare all other letterpress; and finally to 
examine and pass all printers’ proofs, and generally to see the work through 
the press. 
In selecting the plants to be figured I have endeavoured to present, 
as far as possible, a complete view of the main features of the flora. I 
think I can say that no important genus or group of plants is without 
proper representation; and, further, that the species are so selected as to 
include examples from all parts of the Dominion, from the Kermadec 
Islands in the north to the Auckland and Campbell Islands in the south. 
The alpine flora has received full treatment, particularly in genera like 
Gentiana, Myosotis, Aciphylla, and others, which have hitherto received 
little attention in the way of illustrations. Special attention has been 
paid to the endemic genera; and I have also illustrated no small number 
of plants which possess special interest, either on account of their economic 
value, or from biological or morphological reasons, or from their peculiar 
geographical distribution. On the other hand, I have not thought it neces- 
sary, except in a few special instances, to figure plants found in other 
countries as well as New Zealand. 
As the plates are intended to illustrate the “Manual of the New 
Zealand Flora,” which contains full descriptions of all the species figured, 
it was obviously unnecessary to encumber the letterpress with technical 
descriptions which had already appeared in that book. As a rule I have 
