HorLoway.—Studies in the New Zealand Hymenophyllaceae. 69 
so that I have had to fall back upon such evidence as is afforded by the 
actual rainfall data, supplemented by general climatic information, and 
by the study of the general fern and other forest vegetation present. 
For a detailed list of the twenty-six New Zealand species reference must 
made to my previous paper (18) and to the Manual of the New Zealand 
Flora (10). I take this opportunity of acknowledging the source of the 
rainfall map on page 73, which I have adapted from that issued by the 
Government Meteorological Office, and of the meteorological data, which 
I have culled from the regular publications of the Department; and also of 
L. Cockayne's map on page 85, which I have ice from his paper (14) 
on the proposed botanical districts of New Zealan 
І. THE СтлмАтЕ, FoREST-COVERING, AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE HYMENO- 
PHYLLACEAE EAST OF THE SOUTHERN ALP 
rom the meteorological data set out in Table A, on page 70, it i 
evident that the climate experienced at the east coast of the South rie 
is very different from that at the west. The total number of rainy days 
at Lincoln is only about three-fifths s that at Hokitika, and the rainfall 
is less than a quarter as much. ifference is reflected also in the 
greater number of hours of газів. at the former than at the latter 
station. The most important climatic fact of all, however, is one that 
does not appear in the table—namely, that there is an almost com plete 
. absence of strong dry winds in Westland, at any rate so far as the howled 
are concerned, whereas in Canterbury the excessively dry and often fierce 
north- west. wind i is a charac SOMME if intermittent, feature. The fact = 
than at Lincoln. It will be seen also that not only is the mean 
noticeably less for Lincoln than for Hokitika, but the seasonal variation 
is more marked. Finally, the daily and also the seasonal range in tempera- 
ture is less at Hokitika than at Lincoln. Humidity data, perhaps more 
ditions. However, they enable us to gain a good idea as to Aon those 
conditions will be. The lack of drying winds, the low summer temperature, 
the heavy rainfall, and large number of rainy days fairly ef distributed 
over the whole year all point to the fact that in the Westland forests the 
humidity is more or less constantly high, and that transpiration from frond 
‘and leaf-surface will probably never be excessive. On the other hand, in 
Canterbury the strong dry winds will bring about such extreme fluctuations 
in the humidity that they may be regarded as one of the most important 
factors in the determination of the plant-covering. In the forest-interior 
also these fluctuations will be felt, and the fern flora and the station 
adopted by the individual species will be restricted thereby. The other 
climatic factors also will tend to make the atmospheric humidity in the 
Canterbury forests both lower and also more variable than in those of 
Westland, such as the very much smaller rainfall, the greater amount of 
bright sunshine, the hotter summer and the colder winter, and the greater 
daily range in temperature. From these facts it would follow that the 
forests of. Canterbury would be less extensive than and different in type 
from those of Westland, and that the distribution in them of the Hymeno- 
phyllaceae and other fern- families would be more restricte 
