82 THE SOUTH AND ITS SCIENTIFIC SCOPE 



he reached the Cape on the outward voyage he was already 

 planning the book. 



March 1 and March 17, 1840. 



I am now beginning to consider what are to be the Hmits 

 of my Antarctic flora ; if I confine it to 23° North of the 

 S. Pole it will consist of one species, I suppose, and that 

 the Protococcus nivalis, nor would this be a fair limit to 

 poor Flora, as she is guided by climate, not parallels which 

 man has laid down and called latitude. My idea is, to be 

 guided very much by the temperature of the Islands and 

 the nature of the plants they contain. It will be, however, 

 difficult to draw the line ; the Straits of Magellan must, 

 I suppose, come in with the Falkland Islands, whilst the 

 Southern Island of New Zealand, Van Diemen's Land, and 

 the Cape will be excluded. The mean annual temperature 

 of the Antarctic Ocean is said to be nearly that of the 

 Arctic ; if this is the case there must be some unknown 

 reason for the comparative barrenness of the Islands of the 

 two seas. 



It was a different matter when, later, his father suggested 

 that he should undertake complete Floras of some of the places 

 he had visited. His answer (November 25, 1842) shows a 

 natural diffidence at the thought of embarking on so much 

 more complex a task. 



In proposing me to publish Floras of New Zealand 

 and V.D.L., I fear you overrate my Botanical powers, for 

 I am very ignorant of any plants but those I have seen. 

 My strict Flora Antarctica will always begin where the 

 Pines cease, and I should like it to contain the most of 

 the country S. of Magelhaens (but Darwin ^ will give me 

 good limits there) provided I can gain access to the proper 

 materials. Auckland and Campbell Islands, Kerguelen's 

 Land, and the Falklands will be the only other stations except 

 what few you have from Macquarie Islands. Do tell me in 

 your next what the things are which Frazer ^ sent you : and 

 ask Brown whether any things have ever been collected in 



1 As having visited the country on the voyage of the Beagle. 



2 Probably Louis Fraser, 1810-66, who was on the Niger Expedition of 

 1841-2 and afterwards took charge of Lord Derby's zoological collections 

 at Knowsley. 



