Kirx.—On the Nativity in N.Z. of Polygonum aviculare, L. 317 
Mr, Travers wish it to be understood that the extreme number I have 
given (Dr. Hooker states “ upwards of 360”) comprises all the plants actually 
seen by Banks and Solander in these varied and distant localities? If so I am 
sure that no botanist possessing a detailed knowledge of the distribution of 
New Zealand plants will be found to agree with him. From personal 
knowledge of three of the localities visited by them I can state that a larger 
number of species might be collected in each during a single week than 
appears to have been recorded by them as obtained during the whole time 
spent on the coast of New Zealand, notwithstanding that some of the species 
which were common in 1772 are now comparatively rare. Making every 
allowance for the limited extent of their excursions into the interior, and 
guided by the preserved statements of the localities visited, and what we know 
of the nature of the habitats from the plants actually recorded as haying been 
first observed by them, there can be no doubt that a minimum number of 600 
species might have been collected by botanists in their position. Assuming, 
however, a much lower estimate, say 500 species, how very natural that so 
common and unattractive a plant as the knot-grass should have been one of 
those omitted. 
In the comparatively small amount of attention which was paid to common 
and well known plants a century or even half a century ago by botanists in a 
similar position to Banks and Solander, and in the restricted facilities then 
to be obtained for preserving plants on board ship, may be found fully 
sufficient reason for no mention being made of so common a plant as the 
knot-grass, or for no specimen of it having been preserved. 
And not to mention the omission of certain endemic plants, common in 
several of the localities visited by them, I might say amongst the commonest, 
this view of the case is confirmed by the fact that other plants common to the 
British Islands and New Zealand are omitted from their collections, although 
no botanist wonld for a moment imagine on that account that they were not 
observed. Juncus maritimus is abundant all round the coasts of New 
Zealand, it is especially plentiful at the Bay of Islands, Thames River, 
Mercury Bay, Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, and Queen Charlotte Sound—all 
localities visited by the first expedition, and at some of which a protracted 
stay was made—yet no mention is made of it, although it could not possibly 
have escaped observation. Juncus bufonius appears to have escaped record by 
all botanists down to the time of Sinclair and Colenso, and affords in many 
respects a close parallel to its frequent associate the knot-grass; it occurs 
throughout the islands in dry and moist places, is especially abundant by road 
sides, although rarely absent from swampy places ; in neglected cultivations it 
sometimes exhibits great luxuriance, and ascends the Southern Alps to a 
considerable altitude. In the northern part of the colony, and probably 
