ITI.—BOTANY. 
Art. XXXVIII.—Preliminary Notes on Mr. H. H. Travers’ Recent 
Collections of Plants from the Chatham Islands. 
By Baron Ferp. voy. MurLLER, C.M.G., M.D., F.R.S., Hon. Mem. N.Z.I. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 20th July, 1872.7 
During the last spring and summer the Chatham Islands were revisited by 
Mr. H. H. Travers, with the view of exploring still further these islands for 
zoological and phytological purposes. The plants collected have also on this 
occasion been submitted to me for examination. But as the careful elabora- 
tion of all the species—many of variable form—will require some time, I have 
- thought it advisable to offer meanwhile a few preliminary notes on these new 
collections. The latter comprise the Dicotyledonee, Monocotyledonee, and 
Ferns brought this time by Mr. Travers, and they increase the 67 genera and 
87 species obtained in 1864 to 123 genera and 183 species, 56 genera and 96 
species being added. Accordingly the Dicotyledonee, known to belong to these 
isles, comprise now 72 genera and 94 species; the Monocotyledonee 34 genera 
and 52 species; and the Filices and closely allied plants, 17 genera and 37 
species. A few of the cotyledonous plants are evidently introduced ; yet, after 
deducting these, there still remain a comparatively large number of ESER 
species for so small an area, particularly if it is considered that no high 
mountains exist in this group as in Lord Howe Island. 
The plants now brought by Mr. Travers still further prove the vegetation 
of the Chatham Islands to be almost identical with that of New Zealand ; for 
even the apparently few endemic plants are almost all closely allied to New 
Zealand species. The total absence of Myrtacee and Pittosporeæ seems remark- 
able. The Cordylines, so conspicuous in the vegetation of New Zealand, are 
also absent ; and many common plants of the latter and also of other countries, 
for instance Adiantum ethiopicum, have not yet been found. A few additions 
to the phanerogamic flora may still be expected among insignificant water- 
weeds, such as Lemna, or among the oceanic Monocotyledonee, such as Zostera, 
Cymodocea, and Halophila, otherwise Mr. Travers’ search seems to have 
been almost exhaustive. The Mosses, Lichenastra, Lichens, F ungi, and 
Algz, have been more extensively collected only during Mr. Travers’ second 
