215 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Maori-Latin Index to the Handbook of the New Zealand Flora. 
Wellington : printed under the Authority of the New Zealand Go- 
vernment, by G. Didbury. 1866. 8vo, pp. 8. 
We were glad to receive this useful " Index," and should have re- 
sponded to the invitation of reprinting it in our Journal, if the whole 
of it had not been incorporated in the recently published part of Dr. 
Hooker's « Handbook of the New Zealand Flora.' "VVe understand that 
it is the intention of the editors to bring out a new edition of it, 
and that being the case, we would direct their attention to several 
points ^that appear to us important. We do not find the names 
"Hue" (Gourd), " Nikau " (the New Zealand Palm), "Mairehau" 
{Phebalium nudum), and several others. The spelling of the scientific 
names is frequently incorrect, and we notice several slips of the pen in 
the native names also ; for instance, " Popopora " instead of Poroporo 
{Solanum, sp. pi.), « Rautawhiri Nairn," instead of Eautawhiri Naira 
{Pittosporum), " Karetn," instead of Karetu (Ilierochloe redolent), etc. 
The general name for Juncus ought to be always spelt " Wiwi," not 
" hiwhi," as it is in one instance. 
A H these points are far from trilling if the list is to serve for 
critical purposes. These Maori names will help us materially to fix, 
not only the exact country whence the New Zealand, rs emigrated, but 
also be, in many instances, a guide to the spots whence many 
«ew Zealand plants were derived. We are told that the first canoes 
that landed in New Zealand brought with them the seeds of the 
araka {Corynocarpus lamgata, Cunn.), which would thus be a natu- 
ralized, not an indigenous plant of New Zealand. Those islands, with 
the language of which the Maori dialect has the greatest affinity, are 
Karatonga (in latitude 18° to 22° S.) and Humphrey's Island (hit. 10° 
s-j. .But unfortunately their vegetation, and the vernacular 
dlu es of their Flora, are unknown ; if anywhere, however, the Karaka, 
probably other New Zealand plants, may be expected to be found, 
U ls in those islands. 
But ievv plants of tropical Polynesia are identical with New Zealand 
** Hence but few of their names could be affixed by the first settlers, 
Hlc,j > alter leaving their tropical home, they landed in New Zealand. 
