348 Notice of Dr. Hoeker’s Flora of New Zealand. 
who, when the question was put to him, as to whether the planets are 
inhabited, replied that the earth was so, and left his querist to argue 
from analogy. So with regard to species, we know that they perish 
suddenly or gradually, without varying into other forms to take their 
place as species, from which established premiss the speculator may 
draw his own conclusions * , * . 4 
ture discoveries. I may add, that after twelve years’ devotion to the 
laborious accumulation and arrangement of facts in the field and closet, 
untrammelled by any theories to combat or vindicate, | have thought 
that I might bring forward the conclusions to which my studies have 
led me, with less chance of incurring such a reproach, than those 
would, who with far better abilities and judgment, have not had my e%- 
29 
perience and opportunities. 
one, and worthy of the most extended and critical examination. 
Its establishment, moreover, by satisfactory evidence, woul 
stroy one of the strongest grounds upon which the doctrine of 
the multiple origin of species (at least in the form maintained by 
Schouw) is supported. To complete the view, and fairly to exhibit 
the grounds upon which these theoretical conclusions are bas ’ 
we should embrace in our extracts a large part of the remaining 
chapter ; on the physiognomy and affinities of the New Zealand 
Flora, and on the variation of New Zealand species. But the 
necessary limits of our article forbid. A few facts regarding the 
more striking peculiarities of the New Zealand flora may be col 
lected. ‘The large proportion, both relatively and absolutely, of 
the Cryptogamia, and especially of Ferns, has already been noted. 
“ A paucity of Grasses, and absence of Leguminose, and abun- 
dance of bushes and Ferns, and a want of annual plants, are the 
prevalent features of the open country ; whilst the forests abou 
in Cryptogamia, in Phenogamic plants with obscure and green 
flowers, and very often of obscure and little known natural orders. 
the bi sa of natural orders of the Phanogaiaie plants 1s 
remarkably large In proportion to the genera, even for an “ 
flora ; being 92 to 282, or about one three: while the gener 
