286 Canadian Record of Science. 



new edition of the " Handbook of the Flora of New Zea- 

 land," approved by Sir Joseph Hooker, is now in an ad- 

 vanced state of preparation by Professor Thomas Kirk, 

 who has already distinguished himself as the author of 

 " Forest Flora." Mr. Kirk's long experience as a systematic 

 botanist, and his personal knowledge of the flora of every 

 part of the colony, acquired during the exercise of his. 

 duties at Conservator of Forests, point to him as the fit- 

 ting man to undertake the task. But quite apart from the 

 work of increasing the local collections which bear on bio- 

 logical studies, New Zealand stands out prominently in all 

 discussions on the subject of geographical biology. It stands 

 as a lone zoological area, minute in area, but on equal 

 terms as far as v regards the antiquity and peculiar features 

 of its fauna, with nearly all the larger continents in the ag- 

 gregate. In consequence of this, many philosophical essays 

 — such, for instance, as Hooker's introductory essay to the 

 early folio edition of the " Flora," the essays by Hutton, 

 Travers and others, and also the New Zealand references 

 in "Wallace's works, have all contributed essentially to the 

 vital question of the causes which have brought about the 

 distribution and geographical affinities of plants and ani- 

 mals, and have thus been of use in hastening the adoption 

 of the doctrine of evolution. But much still remains to be 

 done. Both as regards its fauna and its flora, New Zealand 

 has always been treated too much as a whole quantity, and 

 in consequence percentage schedules prepared for compar- 

 ing with the fauna and flora of other areas fail from this 

 cause. It is absolutely necessary to discriminate not only 

 localities, but also to study more carefully the relative 

 abundance of individuals as well as of species before insti- 

 tuting comparisons. The facility and rapidity with which 

 change is effected at the present time should put us against 

 rashly accepting species which may have been accidental 

 intruders, though wafted by natural causes, as belonging 

 to the original endemic fauna. Further close and extended 

 study, especially of our marine fauna, is urgently required. 

 "We have little knowledge beyond the littoral zone, except 

 when a great storm heaves up a gathering of nondescript 



