PREFACE. 



Towards the end of 1906 a deputation from the Philosophical Institute of Canter- 

 bury waited upon the Hon. R. McNab, Minister of Lands, and urged upon him the 

 desirability of extending the magnetic survey of New Zealand to the various groups 

 of islands lying to the south of the mainland, and suggested that in the event of 

 this being done advantage should be taken of the opportunity to further investigate 

 the geology, zoology, and botany of these islands. These proposals were heartily 

 supported by the Otago Institute, and were afterwards endorsed at the annual 

 meeting of the New Zealand Institute in January, 1907. As the result of further 

 correspondence the Governm.ent agreed to land a scientific party on the Auckland 

 Islands, and another on Campbell Island, during the annual trip of the Govern- 

 ment steamer " Hinemoa " in November, 1907, and to call for these parties on 

 the return journey after the vessel had visited the Antipodes and Bounty Islands. 

 A sum towards the expenses of the expedition was also placed on the parliamentary 

 estimates. 



This plan was duly carried out, and as soon as possible after the return to 

 New Zealand arrangements were made for the distribution of the specimens and 

 the working-up of the results, and, on being applied to, the Government generously 

 placed on the estimates a substantial sum as a contribution towards the cost of 

 publication. 



The Institute desires to record here its most grateful thanks to the members of 

 the Government, and particularly to the Premier, Sir J. G. Ward ; the Acting-Premier, 

 the Hon. W. Hall- Jones ; the Minister of Marine, the Hon. J. A. Millar ; and the 

 Minister of Lands, the Hon. R. McNab, for their assistance and the warm interest 

 they took in the work. The Defence Department kindly loaned tents and equip- 

 ment for the parties, and assisted in many other ways. The members of the 

 expedition are unanimous in their gratitude to Captain Bollons, of the Govern- 

 ment steamer "Hinemoa," for the assistance he gave and the pains he took to 

 give the various parties every facility for the prosecution of their investigations. 

 In this he was most willingly assisted by the officers and crew of the vessel. 



The greater part of the arrangements connected with the expedition fell on the 

 shoulders of Dr. C. Coleridge Farr, who acted as secretary throughout, and to whose 

 untiring energy much of its success is due. 



