are available; but, during the past fifteen years, that is, since 

 the publication of Cheeseman's "Manual of the New Zealand 

 Flora," there has been unparalleled botanical activity in the 

 Dominion. Many new species have been discovered and much 

 has been added to the knowledge already existing regarding 

 the distribution of the older species; nevertheless, this recent 

 knowledge has been rather in the direction of confirming the 

 older ideas than of disproving them. It may, indeed, be asserted 

 that, for all practical purposes, the present knowledge of the 

 distribution of New Zealand vascular plants is sufficiently accur- 

 ate to permit the establishing of reliable conclusions on certain 

 fundamental points. 



With regard to its vegetation. New Zealand has been sin- 

 gularly fortunate in having had from the earliest days of 

 settlement, when virtually all the plant-covering was primitive, 

 a number of ardent naturalists, who, if not supplying a picture 

 of the vegetation from the modern ecological standpoint, have 

 given such indications of its nature as to permit anyone versed 

 in the subject to read between the lines. Still, this would have 

 been inadequate were it not that numerous areas, large and 

 small, of virgin vegetation stand unmolested in all the plant- 

 geographical districts; or, where modified, many are not yet 

 so seriously damaged as to have effaced the primeval stamp. 

 In the South Island, more especially, there are extremely exten- 

 sive tracts still truly virgin, but at present unsuitable for 5 

 settlement ; while, in all parts of the Botanical Region, numerous 

 reserves, some of great extent, have been set aside as sanctuaries 

 for the indigenous plants and animals. Second in importance 

 to none of such sanctuaries is the late Mr. Cawthron's splendid 

 gift to Nelson and to the people of New Zealand the "Cawthron 

 Park" (see Fig. 1.) Other reserves may, in course of time, be 

 alienated, or interfered with, but the Cawthron Park can never 

 be turned from the object for which it was set aside by its far- 

 sighted founder. Never should plant or animal foreign to its 

 precincts be permitted to desecrate its sanctity. Through the 

 long years it should remain, as its founder intended, a living 

 monument builded by Nature and by Her alone to be maintained 

 it all its pristine beauty ! 



The study of plant-distribution is two-sided. First of all 

 comes the comparatively easy task of noting and recording the 

 facts of distribution; while, in the second place, is the vastly 

 more difficult matter of referring such facts to their causes. 

 Here comes in the estimation, of the effect of those two complexes 

 of ecological factors, climate and soil. Then, too, there are the 

 biotic factors, i.e., the relation of the living organisms plant 

 and animal to one another, and their effect upon the habitat 

 of the plant-association as a whole, or upon the various growing- 

 places of its members. Then there are the historical factors 

 to consider dealing with the histories of the species and the 

 geological history of the area they occupy. No particular sec- 

 tion of this lecture is devoted to these questions of ecological 

 and historical factors, highly important though they be, still 



