W. Travers. — On the Origin in N.Z. q/* Polygonum aviculare, L. 311 



volume, in which I assumed both the typical form of Polygonum aviculare and 

 the variety dryandri to be of exotic origin. Notwithstanding Mr. Kirk's 

 arguments I still disagree with the conclusions he has arrived at, and chiefly 

 for the following reasons. 



On looking into the history of botanical research in New Zealand we find- 

 that these plants are not mentioned by any collector before Raoul, who 

 obtained the typical form at Akaroa and the Bay of Islands about 1840, 

 whilst Lyall obtained the variety at Port Cooper some eight or ten years later. 

 Now it would be somewhat singular that, if these plants really belonged to 

 the indigenous flora, they should have been overlooked by Banks and 

 Solander in 1769, by the Forsters and Dr. Sparrman in 1772, by Alexander 

 in 1777, and by Menzies in 1791. I admit, however, that Alexander, whose 

 collections were very limited, and Menzies, who directed himself almost 

 exclusively to the Cryptogatnia, might have overlooked these plants, though 

 the fact would still remain a singular one. But with Banks and Solander and 

 the Forsters and Dr. Sparrman the omission would be strange indeed, for each 

 of these botanists enjoyed abundant opportunities of collecting in localities in 

 which the typical form at all events could scarcely have failed to be found if 

 it then existed in the country. It is still more remarkable too that neither 

 plant is mentioned by D'Urville, who collected in 1822, by Frazer in 1825, 

 by Allan Cunningham in 1826, nor by Lesson in 1827 ; but whilst their 

 silence may be accounted for in a manner which will be mentioned in the 

 sequel, the same reasons are in no degree applicable to the case of the earlier 

 botanists. 



It appears to me that Mr. Kirk has quite overlooked the great length of 

 time which has elapsed since various European seeds, of classes likely to 

 include, at all events, as accidental company those of Polygonum aviculare, 

 have been introduced into New Zealand. In the first place there was, 

 between 1793 and 1840, a constant intercourse on all parts of the east coast 

 of the two main islands between the crews of whale and other ships from the 

 colonies of New South Wales and Yan Diemen's Land and the natives, 

 during which time the seeds of a large variety of European herbaceous plants 

 were introduced. As a notable instance we know that the seed of the 

 English dock was sold to natives in various parts of the islands as the seed of 

 the tobacco plant. 



But outside of this, as possibly accounting for the presence of the plant in 

 question, I call Mr. Kirk's attention specially to the fact that both in 1810 

 and in 1814 large quantities of European seeds were introduced into the Bay 

 of Islands, and into various parts of the North Island lying between that 

 district and Poverty Bay, by the missionary band of which the Bev. Mr. 

 Marsden was the head. In the latter year particularly the brig " Active," 



