General. — Statistical. 281 
“ forest etc., so that certain apparently primeval areas, especially Pleridium- and 
Lepfospermum-heath, and perhaps tussock-steppe, to some extent, may 
probably have originated from ancient forest-fires. But when we consider the 
vast areas of undoubtedly virgin forest that only »ow are vanishing, it is clear 
that Zhe aborigenes brought about no changes of moment, and that it was a 
truly primeval scene that met the gaze of the early botanists. How great the 
difference in much of the present plant-covering is clearly brought home from 
the statistics in Chapter III and the details in Chapter II of this section, which 
show that the greater part of the lowlands has now a plant-covering resembling 
‘that of Europe rather than New Zealand, and that there are also wild assoc- 
 iations of recent origin composed altogether of exotic plants. Thus, as well 
as an indigenous flora, there isa second composed of introduced species, some 
of which are so well attuned to their new environment that they flourish side 
by side with indigenous plants making new associations, or, in other cases, 
the exotics, thanks generally to the direct influence of.man, have formed pure 
 societies. In other words, a new vegetation and flora are being. evolved and 
various stages of the ee are re to hand. 
2. Statistical. 
The species more or less firmly established in New Zealand are about 
belong to temperate South ‚America. 
7 The families and genera ‚ontainii 
‚CH sitae 67 
the most part, either tropical or nee ER of ER distribution or Be 
