440 Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Origin of the 
some of the groups. ‘The best example perhaps is the Orchids, 
of which 18 genera occur in New Zealand. Of these 2 are 
endemic, and the other 16 are all found in Australia. Two 
occur also in New Caledonia, three in Polynesia, four in the 
Indian archipelago, and three in India, while one consists of 
a single species widely spread over Asia and Australia. None 
of them are found in South America. The path of the Orchids 
into New Zealand, by the Indian archipelago and New Cale- 
donia, is thus plainly mapped out, and as none have passed 
into South America the migration probably took place after 
the South-Pacific continent had disappeared. The number 
of New-Zealand species of this order 1s 38, of which 32 (or 
84 per cent.) are endemic, so that the immigration must have 
been an early one. Other examples are found in Pittosporee, 
Rutacex, and Santalacee. Hxamples of the earlier South- 
American migration are seen in the Monimiacez and Chlor- 
anthacez, while examples of the antarctic migration are the 
Caryophyllex, the Geraniacee, and the Rutacez. It may be 
objected that the percentage of endemic species is greater in 
the Australian than in the South-American element, and 
therefore that the first must be the older. But the objection 
is not fatal, because, in the first place, we must remember that 
the American genera would continue to live in Polynesia, 
and would migrate into New Zealand again with the Austra- 
lian forms, thus making the percentage nearly the same in 
each case; and, in the second place, one or two genera may 
be included in the South-American element which are really 
antarctic, and this would at once bring down-the percentage 
of endemic species. ‘This is a mistake which could not be 
made with the Australian genera. 
The Kermadec Islands occupy a very important position 
for furnishing evidence of migrations into New Zealand from 
the north, but unfortunately very little is known of their flora. 
What is known shows a remarkable affinity to the flora of 
New Zealand. Of the 21 species of flowering plants 
collected by Dr. Macgillivray, only three (14 per cent.) are 
endemic, 17 are found in New Zealand (one of which is 
supposed to have been introduced into both places), and the 
other (Metrosideros polymorpha) inhabits Polynesia and New 
Caledonia. From this we must infer that at a comparatively 
late period New Zealand extended further to the north-east 
than at present; for if it had not done so the Kermadec 
plants would have been far more differentiated from those of 
New Zealand than they are. At the same time, as but few 
subtropical species are common to New Zealand and Aus- 
tralia, this land could not have extended far to the north- 
