Mr. R. B. Hinds uu Geographic Botany. 93 



tlccpcr valleys, bat varies greatly in quantity in different situations 

 and different islands. On the plain on which the capital is built, 

 twenty-one inches fell in the above year ; but this is considerably 

 less than what falls more towards the interior of the island, and on 

 the elevated ])arts. The surface is very irregular, has but little level 

 land, and consists chiefly of mountain ranges of moderate height, 

 intersected by numerous deep and fertile valleys ; the superficies 

 of the whole is about 7000 square miles. The soil, resulting 

 from the decomposition of several varieties of lava, is very fruit- 

 ful, but requires much water ; supplied with plenty of the latter, 

 its productiveness is luilimited. 



Their gcograjihical position bestows on them a tropical flora, 

 whilst the irregularities of sui'face ensure variety. For the present, 

 however, we are confined to the plains. CincJwnacea, Guttiferce, 

 SapindacecB, arborescent Euphorbiacece, tree-ferns, and a solitary 

 representative of Pahna, omitting the cocoa-nut, with other 

 families equally tropical, but not quite so abundant, stamp its 

 general features. The relations of the flora to the American and 

 Asiatic tropic are so nicely balanced, that it is difficult to decide 

 of which it most partakes ; the sources of analog}'^ are perhaps 

 most numerous with the Asiatic. AVith more distant regions 

 it has also relations through some members of Cruciferce, Saxi- 

 fragea and UmbelUfene, families abounding in temperate regions, 

 and presenting an analogy the tropics do not often display. Each 

 of these families is but feebly represented : Cruciferce has two 

 species of genera belonging to the Eui'opean temperate region, 

 hence an affinity with that portion of the globe : this is fm-ther 

 sup])orted by an umbelliferous plant, Hydrocotyle interrujjta, 

 which is regarded in the islands as originally a native plant, and 

 is also widely diffused elsewhere : the genus supplies another 

 affinity to tem])erate regions, whilst the species acknowledges an 

 identity with several others. The saxifi-ageous plant, Broussaisia 

 arguta, supjdies an analogy alone; the genus and species are 

 found only in the Sandwich islands. Like other islands they 

 have a multitude of ferns. An analogy, stronger than usually 

 prevails in tropical countries, is established with subtropical re- 

 gions through shrubby Composita', Labiatte, and some others. 



The affinities are numerous, and very equally distributed be- 

 tween New Holland, Asia and America. In common with Asia 

 are the genera Cyrtandra, Santalum, and Elaocarpus ; with Ame- 

 rica, Clusia, Bruncllia, and Heliotrojnum ; and with New Holland, 

 Metrosideros, Cyatliodes, Pittusporum, and Exocarpus. Few of 

 their species are the same, the relations ceasing chiefly with the 

 genus. 



The repetition of species indigenous elsewhere is also consider- 

 able : taking one hundred and sixty-five of the phtenogamous, 



