2 Botanical Exploration and Research. 
plants collected was 190, a poor result considering the great opportunities for 
collecting. The botanists never ascended any of the mountains at Dusky Sound, 
: and their rich alpine flora remained unknown, but for two or three specimens 
probably collected by some of Cook’s officers who partially. climbed one of 
the mountains”). Twelve months after their return, the FORSTERS conjointly 
issued their “Characteres Genera Plantarum”, in which, with other genera,. 
31 belonging to New Zealand are described and figured. In 1786 G. FORSTER 
published his “Florulae Insularum Australium Prodromus”, 170 of the species 
mentioned therein being from New. Zealand. The book is of little scientific 
value, the descriptions being brief and inadequate. SPARMANN appears to have 
drawn up the diagnoses though his name does not appear. 
Botanically, Coo&’s third voyage was of little moment. The surgeon of 
his ship, W. ANDERSON, however, wrote an excellent, but very short account 
. of the vegetation of Queen Charlotte Sound which may be considered the first 
contribution to New Zealand botanical ecology. 
6b. From Vancouver's Voyage (1791) to the Publication of the “ Flora 
Antarctica” (1847). 
- In 1791, Captain VANCOUVER, on his way to N. W. North America, put 
in to Dusky Sound for nearly 3 weeks: A. MENZIES, the surgeon, collected 
ferns, mosses and liverworts most assiduously. The greater part of his speci- 
mens were described and beautifully figured by Sir W. J. HoOKER in the 
“Musci Exotici” (1818—20) and the “Icones Filicum”. 
It was not until 1824 that further investigations were made regarding New 
Zealand botany, when from the French exploring corvette, “Coquille”, Lieut. 
D’URVILLE and A. LESSON made a collection of plants at the Bay of Islands. 
The colonization of New South Wales had for some time past made itself 
felt. Whaling and sealing were pursued with vigour on the New Zealand coast; 
missions had been established since 1814, and settlement in the north was 
gradually extending. C. FRASER of the Sydney Botanic Garden, in 1825, 
collected a few plants at the Bay of Islands, and probably he had previously 
received one or two species from Macquarie Island. 
In 1826, ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, His Majesty’s Botanist at Port Jackson, 
spent four imonihb in botanizing Eon the Bay of Islands to Hokianga and in 
the neighbourhood of Whangaroa. Aided by natives and missionaries, he did 
valuable work, collecting 300 species, many of them new, together with ample 
duplicates. The following year, D’URVILLE again visited New Zealand, this 
time as commander of the “Astrolabe”. He was accompanied, as before; by 
LeEsson. Collections were made at various localities on the north coast of 
the South Island, and at a few places in. the North Island from Tolaga "Bay 
to Se B of Islands: The botanical results "were published in 1832 by 
P It t be remembered that botanical exploration at any point in the Fiord distriet is 
most ale owing to the excessively wet climate and the extremely rugged, u and ag x 
ed. e 
forest-clad mountains. In fact the greater Be is still umbotaniz 
