Historical.] SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. Xxix 



in the papers by him and by Mr. Laing on the ecological botany ; reference to 

 them is also made in Mr. Waite's paper on the vertebrata. Comparison of the 

 effects that have already been produced with those that may hereafter be brought 

 about will afford fruitful subject for future investigation. 



This is an appropriate place to refer to the enlightened regulations that have 

 more recently been made by the New Zealand Government for the protection of the 

 seals and birds and other animals on these islands, and for the regulation of the 

 sealing industry. These have already produced very beneficial results, and in view 

 of the exceptional advantages offered by these islands for the study of the habits of 

 many of the ocean-birds, and for the preservation of them and of the seals, it is 

 extremely desirable that some of the islands should be absolutely reserved as sanc- 

 tuaries and breeding-places, and that no introduced animals of any kind should 

 be allowed upon them. The Snares, the Antipodes, and perhaps Disappointment 

 Island and Adams Island in the Auckland group, appear to be suitable for such 

 reserves. 



In July, 1870, H.M.S. " Blanche " surveyed the Auckland Islands and prepared 

 a chart of them. 



In 1874 the French Expedition for the Observation of the Transit of Venus 

 of the 9th December proceeded to Campbell Island, and spent a considerable time 

 there. It was accompanied by Dr. H. Filhol as naturalist, and he afterwards made 

 a full report on his observations with regard to the fauna, flora, and geology. This, 

 however, was not published until 1885. The most important parts in it are the 

 observations on the anatomy of the penguins and his report on the Crustacea, but 

 there are also lists and references to seals, birds, fishes, mollusca, coelenterata, &c. 

 The botanical portion is short, and adds little new except in the diatoms. The 

 geological observations are treated at considerable length. At the same time a 

 German Expedition visited Auckland Island for the same purpose, but found, as 

 other subsequent visitors have done, that the " weather was the most wretched 

 imaginable." A report on the flora of the islands was afterwards published by 

 Kurtz, the rocks gathered near Port Ross were described by Max Hartmann in 

 1878, and a report on the meteorology was also published. 



Since that time numerous visits have been made to these islands on the occasion 

 of the periodic visits of the Government steamer. Thus, Mr. J. Buchanan visited 

 them in 1883, for the purpose of securing plants for cultivation, and herbarium 

 specimens. The results were afterwards pubUshed in the " Transactions of the 

 New Zealand Institute " for 1883, and along with them he gave a series of drawings 

 of the coast of Campbell Island. 



Professor J. H. Scott had previously visited Macquarie Island in November, 

 1880, and in 1883 published an account of his visit, with numerous notes on the 

 zoology and botany of the island. 



One of the most important visits was that made by Mr. T. Kirk in 1890. He 

 visited the whole of these islands with the exception of Macquarie Island, and was 

 able to land at the Snares and the Antipodes Islands, this being the first time that 

 a botanist had made collections at these places. He afterwards published several 

 papers on the results of his visit, and gave a comprehensive account of the whole 

 in the " Report of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science " 

 for 1891. He was accompanied by Mr. F. R. Chapman (now Mr. Justice Chapman), 



