ROOM II. FAUNA AND FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 105 



referable to an introduction by human agency, yet the 

 greater number of species, and even genera, are peculiar to 

 the country. In fact, New Zealand, with the adjacent 

 islands, Chatham, Auckland, and Macquarrie, form a botanical 

 centre, which is sufficiently distinct from both continents to 

 preserve its peculiarities : and it offers in this respect the 

 most striking instances of the fact, that different regions of 

 the earth are endowed with peculiar forms of animals and 

 vegetables. 



" The number of species of plants at present known 

 is about 650; of which 320 are dicotyledonous, and the 

 remainder monocotyledonous and cellular, the latter very 

 largely predominating. The grasses have given way to the 

 ferns; for ferns, and fern-like plants, are the most nume- 

 rous in New Zealand, and extend over immense districts. 

 They hold the same place here as do the grasses in other 

 countries. Some of the arborescent ferns grow to Upwards 

 of thirty feet in height; and the variety and elegance of 

 their forms, from the minutest species to the giants of their 

 kind, are most remarkable." l 



But the fauna of New Zealand is yet more extraordinary. 

 Instead of quadrupeds constituting a prominent feature in 

 the zoology of these islands, they are almost entirely want- 

 ing ; even of the cold-blooded class, the reptiles, a few 

 diminutive forms are the sole representatives. Of the mam- 

 malia, there is but one known animal that can with certainty 

 be regarded as an indigenous species, namely, a frugivorous 

 rat ; and which has rapidly diminished in numbers since the 

 introduction of that universal pest, the Norway rat. 



The natives affirm there is another indigenous terrestrial 

 quadruped, which they call " Kaurehe :" but no specimen 

 has been seen by the English colonists. 2 



1 Dr. Dieflfenbach's " New Zealand." 



2 The KaurShe.^ son, in his " Notes on the Middle Island," has 

 the following remarks on this subject : 



" About ten miles inland of Arowenua Bush there is a lake where 

 an indigenous terrestrial quadruped, called Kaurehe, is said to exist ; 

 another reported habitat of this animal is inland two days' journey 

 from Te Taumutu. The KaurZhe is the only indigenous quadruped, 

 besides a species of Rat, that there are any reasonable grounds for believ- 

 ing to have been known to the Maoris before the advent of Europeans. 



