43 



cedar (Libocedrus) an assemblage of plants containing such subalpine 

 forms as Ourisia macrophylla (var.), Veronica Lyalli (var.), Raoulia 

 glabra, Raoulia subsericea, Olearia cymbifolia, Drapetes Diffenbachii , 

 and, more rarely, Oreomyrrhis andicola, Euphrasia zelandica, Epilobium 

 macropus, and various grasses, several of considerable rarity. 



Banks Peninsula belongs to Cockayne's Eastern Botanical District, 

 but its vegetation is sufficiently distinctive to constitute it a well- 

 defined sub-district. It is to be regarded rather as an outlier of the 

 Kaikoura coastal region than of Otago i.e., its affinities are northern 

 rather than southern. 



R. M. LAING. 



CANTERBURY MUSEUM. 



The Canterbury Museum was founded by Dr. von. Haast in 1861, 

 and he held the office of Director till his death in 1887. Largely 

 owing to his energy and enthusiasm, and to the use he made of his 

 finds of moa-bones for the purpose of exchange, the collection 

 developed rapidly, and the Museum gained a widespread reputation 

 throughout the scientific world. This collection was subsequently 

 arranged on scientific lines by Captain Hutton, who held the office of 

 Curator from 1892 to 1905. These two distinguished scientific men 

 laid the foundations on which the subsequent development of the 

 institution is based. 



The chief feature of interest is the collection of Dinornis remains, 

 which includes the greater part of the moa material obtained from 

 Glenmark, Kapua, and Enfield, as well as representative material from 

 other places. Owing to the fact that the two Curators mentioned 

 above were primarily geologists, the geological section of the Museum 

 has been strongly developed, and it includes thoroughly representa- 

 tive mineral, petrological, and palaeontological collections from New 

 Zealand and from foreign countries, there being a good assemblage 

 of New Zealand Tertiary fossils, including many types. Other depart- 

 ments of the Museum have, however, received adequate attention. 

 A special feature has been made of the New Zealand natural-history 

 collection, notably the birds. The insect material includes the Fereday 

 collection of Lepidoptera, as well as representatives of the groups 

 worked over by Captain Hutton, including many of his types. A 

 noteworthy exhibit is the skeleton of the Okarito whale (Balaenoptera 

 sibbaldi), which till quite recently was the largest in any museum in 

 the world. This was obtained through the energy of Mr. Edgar F. 

 Stead during the curatorship of Mr. Edgar R. Waite. 



There is a very good collection of ethnological material, especially 

 that from the Pacific islands. The Maori collection is small, but 

 includes several articles of exceptional interest ; and the Moriori 

 material is probably the best in the country, and includes at least 

 two collections made in the early days by residents at the Chatham 

 Islands. The herbarium, founded by Sir Julius von Haast, and con- 

 taining many of his specimens, comprises a fairly complete series of 

 New Zealand plants. 



R. SPEIGHT. 



