CONTENTS 



Preface Pagei vii — x 



List of some of the Principal Authorities quoted, with an Em - 



MI RATION OF THE AUTHOR'S BOTANICAL PAPERS . . . Pages xiii— xv 



List of Illustrations Page xxvii 



ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS Page xxviii 



CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTION 



The study of insular floras. — Their investigation in this work from the stand- 

 point of dispersal. — The significance of plant-distribution in the Pacific. — 

 The problems connected with the mountain-flora of Hawaii. — The per- 

 sistence of dispersing agencies at the coast, their partial suspension on the 

 mountain-top, their more or less complete suspension in the forest, and the 

 effect on the endemic character of plants. — The connection between the 

 endemism of birds and plants. — The relative antiquity of plants of the coast, 

 forest, and nmuntain-top. — The genetic relation between coast and inland 

 species of the same genus. — The ethics of plant-dispersal. — Evolution takes 

 no heed of modes of dispersal. — The seed-stage is the price of Adaptation. 



Pages i- 1 1 



CHAPTER II 



THE FLORAS OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF DIS1 ERSA1 



BY CURRE '• 



The initial experiment.— The proportion of littoral plants. — The two 



principles of buoyancy. — The investigations of Professor Schimper.- The 

 investigations of the author. — The gre.it sorting process of the ages.— 

 Preliminary results of the inquiry into the buoyancy and fruits. 



/'./. . I 2 22 



b 



