320 Transactions. — JBotani/. 



coiintrv." This is biglily inaccurate and misleading. I have already stated 

 that in the Xorth Island the plant exists under the same circumstances as 

 those which surround it in the British Islands, mjinifesting a decided 

 preference for cultivated land, but found also in widely different situations, on 

 mountains and in forests. 'V^Tien the Thames gold-field was fii-st opened, 

 before tracks had been made to any great extent, it was to be seen sparingly 

 in the wildest and most untrodden spots up to 1,900 feet, exactly under 

 similar circumstances to those under which it occurs in the centre of the 

 island, where I had the pleasure of collecting it last summer, and I may state 

 that I have received specimens of the var. dri/andri, collected with Veronica 

 tetragona and other sub-alpine ph\nts on the all but untrodden slopes of 

 Ruapehu and Tongariro by my valued friend, Capti\in Gilbert Mair. 



31 r. Ti-avere' opinion i*especting the introduction of Azolla rubra wUl not 

 l>e generally accepted unless supported by stronger evidence. I shall peruse 

 with interest anything he can offer in support of his theory. 



Art. XLI. — Xotes on the N^aturalized Plants of the ChatJmm Islands. 



By T. Kirk, F.L.S. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 17th August, 1872.] 



Isolated localities offer peculiar :f\cilities for studying the diffusion of intro- 

 duced plants, and ascertaining their effects in the displacement of native 

 species. In the Chatham Islands this process possesses unusual intei*est, 

 arising from the striking peculiarities exhibited by the indigenous flora. 



The following enumei-ation of the naturalized plants of this interesting 

 gix)up has been prepared from a packet of di'ied specimens collected by Mr. 

 H. H. Travel's during his i*ecent visit, and kindly communicated by him, 

 toirether with valuable notes on their relative abundance and diffusion. 



Fi*om the great distance of these islands from the main land and the com- 

 paratively limited amount of intercourse that has taken place, only a small 

 number of species has become naturalized, as will be seen from the appended 

 list. All the species are amongst the common naturalized plants of the 

 colony ; but on the other h<md the absence of Nasttirtiufn oJicifiaJey Senebiera 

 pinnatijida, JSrodium cieutarium, JE. nwschatum, Erigeron canadensis, Ery- 

 tivrasa centauriunh, Veronica arvensis, V'. serpyUi/olia, StacJiys arvensis, Euphor- 

 bia peplus, Festitca bi'oinoides, and others which have become established 

 weeds fix)m the North Cape to Invercargill, is very striking. It may however 

 be partly accounted for by tlie comparatively^ short period ^during which 

 cultivation has been carried on to any considerable extent, while the limited 



