IJG Mr George M. Tliomson on tlie 



influence. But one of tlie largest (if not tlje largest) 

 orders has been omitted, viz., the Diptera. This great 

 order has not been mentioned by Mr Wallace, probably 

 because there were not sufficient data to go upon. But, 

 except perhaps the Coleoptera, they are apparently better 

 represented here than any other order. This has all along 

 been my own opinion, but in order to satisfy myself on the 

 point, I put a few queries to Professor Hutlon, who has 

 given me the following, among other, information on the 

 subject : — " With regard to the Diptera, 94 species have 

 been described from New Zealand, and I have added I 

 think 12 more, making 106. But this would have to be 

 reduced to 90 or 95 after allowance is made for s3monyms 

 and errors in locality. I think that Diptera are very well 

 represented here ; I suppose that not more than one-tenth 

 are yet described. I think that they are better represented 

 than any other order." In reply to a second query as to 

 what was known of the flower-frequenting species, he 

 says : " The Stratiomydm and the Syrpldclce, both found 

 almost exclusively on flowers, are very abundant in indivi- 

 duals, and well represented in species. So also are some 

 of the flower-frequenting AcalyptrMce." 



If now we turn to consider our Flora, we shall learn 

 some interesting facts, many of which, though not abso- 

 lutely new, I am enabled to state in some detail. 



I will not here deal with the whole flora of New 

 Zealand, but confine my remarks to my own observations. 

 These have been made on the flowering plants which I 

 have been able to examine carefully during the last two or 

 three years, but do not include the lower forms of Mono- 

 cotyledons. They are almost all Otago plants, and include 

 232 species, belonging to 132 genera. For reference sake 

 I append a list of these plants, showing the orders to 

 which they belong, and giving, by symbols, a few facts 

 about each. In drawing up such a list, of course degrees 

 of difference cannot well be pointed out, and it must there- 

 fore be taken as only approximately correct. Tlius, for 

 instance, among proterandrous and proterogynous flowers, 

 some may have the dichogamy only partially developed, 

 as in Geranium, while in other genera, such as Coriaria, 

 Ncrtera, and Forstei^a, one or other form is so decided, as to 



