THE WARMER TEMPERATE ZONE. 133 



The feature which may be said to be the predominant one 

 in the vegetation of New Zealand is that of sameness, pro- 

 duced by the one green mass of forest. Nor is any one fa- 

 mily of plants so prevalent over the rest (except perhaps 

 the Pines) as to impart a particular character to any one 

 part of the island more than to another. " The vast num- 

 ber of trees, the paucity of herbaceous plants, and the almost 

 total absence of annuals, are," as we learn from Dr. Hooker, 

 " the most remarkable features of the flora." It is alarm- 

 ing to New Zealand settlers desiring to study botany, to 

 hear that " he thinks it may safely be said that the flora of 

 this country is, for its extent, much the most difficult on 

 the globe to a beginner." 



There are few botanists, either there or elsewhere, who 

 after reading Dr. Hooker's Introductory Essay to the ' Flora 

 of New Zealand/ will not think twice before they run the 

 risk of being classed amongst the " thoughtless aspirants 

 to the questionable honour of being the first to name a 

 species," warned, as they there plainly are, that to add 

 " an uncalled-for synonym " to the list of species, which is 

 already too large perhaps by half, is " an exposure of their 

 own ignorance and deserving of censure;" whilst on the 

 other hand it is shown how much more really great a thing 



