IV 



TROPICAL FLORAS 53 



of species in New Guinea is probably as great, in equal 

 areas, as in Borneo or the Malay Peninsula, but that the 

 species are not so distinctly marked as in those countries. 

 They are what he terms second-grade species as compared 

 with the first-grade species of the latter. But he forms this 

 opinion chiefly from the palms, of which he makes a special 

 study. 



Dr. Lauterbach, who is engaged in describing the new 



plant-collections recently obtained, is evidently much impressed 



by them. He states that down to 1905 there were known 



from German New Guinea 2048 species of flowering plants, 



while about 1000 additional species had been found in other 



parts of the island. But the last Dutch expedition, from the 



portions of the collections he has examined, will probably 



add another 1000 species. Again he says that from collec- 



:ions recently made by Schlechter in German New Guinea, 



and through letters from him, an " immense increase in the 



lumber of species is in prospect." A few more years of 



such energetic collecting will disclose more of the treasures 



}f this the largest of the great tropical islands, while its 



£rand central chain of mountains may be expected to 



oroduce a large amount of novelty and beauty. Dr. 



Lauterbach's conclusion, in a letter to Prof. Beccari, is as 



bllows : " I believe, indeed, that one would not estimate it 



foo highly if one reckoned the sum total of the Papuan 



Phanerogams at a round number of 10,000." Considering 



that New Guinea has more than double the area of the 



Philippines (which Mr. Merrill also estimates may contain 



to,ooo species) ; that it is nine times the area of the Malay 



Peninsula, which has already more than 5000 species 



described ; that it has the enormous length of 1500 miles, 



ill between o° and n° of S. latitude ; that it has an ex- 



xemely varied outline ; that it possesses abundant diversity 



)f hill and valley, and a central range of mountains which 



lave now been proved to rise far above the line of perpetual 



now ; and finally, that it is almost everywhere clad with 



he most luxuriant forests, and enjoys that moist and equable 



:quatorial climate which is proved to be most favourable to 



7 egetable as well as to insect life, it seems to me probable 



hat it may ultimately prove to be among the richest areas 



