131 



Andalusia is a province in which irrigation is largely carried on. 



Lest this proverb should produce any damaging effect upon our pi-oposed 

 scheme of irrigation, I may mention that I breakfasted one morning in Cadiz, 

 and, that, so far as I could judge from such a cursory glance, the men were 

 sturdy, and the women beautiful ; besides which, I have had opportunities at 

 Gibraltar, of observing the race with a satisfactory result. 



Art. XXVI. — On the Naturalized Plants of New Zealand, especially with 

 regard to those occurring in the Province of Auckland.*' By T. Kirk. 



[Bead before the Auckland Institute, November 15, 1869.] 

 PART I. 



In the present imperfect knowledge of the laws which regulate the distribution 

 of species, any authenticated records of the introduction of exotic species into 

 new countries, and their subsequent diffusion, must of necessity possess high 

 value, and be alike calculated to throw light on the obscure past, and to 

 prevent the adoption of error in the future. The opportunities afforded by 

 modern colonization, of watching the introduction of foreign species, and noting 

 their diffusion in new countries, by agencies uncontrolled by man, have been, 

 to a great extent, neglected. In truth, it is far easier to recognize results, 

 than to watch the processes by which the results are brought about ; a few 

 years sometimes suffice to show us the displacement of the greater portion of 

 the vegetation of certain localities, although the process itself has been so 

 gradual as almost to have escaped notice ; yet when, as in these islands where 

 settlement is in its infancy, we find much of the original vegetation displaced 

 by non-indigenous plants, established about the early mission stations, and 

 seats of commerce, about mines, timber stations, and cattle runs, in short, 

 wherever the immigrant has fixed his temporary or permanent home ; we are 

 insensibly led to entertain wider views of the changes which the floras of 

 countries of ancient civilization must have undergone by successive immigra- 

 tions of plants from other countries. In this light we may glance for a 

 moment at the flora of the British Islands, the flowering section of which is 

 supposed by botanists to consist of naturalized plants to the extent of from 

 one-seventh to one-fourth, or even a higher proportion. If we look back to the 

 time of Phoenician commerce and settlement in the western part of the island, 

 we can readily conceive of plants, from the countries on the Euxine and the 

 Mediterranean, having been accidentally introduced and amalgamated with the 

 indigenous flora. In later times we have no difficulty in extending the idea to 

 those countries which sent to Britain successive hordes of invaders ; and in the 

 present day we can point to plants and animals, alike of accidental introduction 

 in the footsteps of commerce, which have become widely naturalized ; take for 

 examples, Impatiens fulva, Elodea alsinastruni, and the fluviatile mollusk 

 Dreissena polymorpha. 



Now although the robust growth of the modern civilization has buried 

 many traces of the less vigorous ancient forms, it would seem not utterly 

 impossible that a more careful and comparative examination than has yet been 

 made of the floras of the countries, from which Britain received her ancient 

 settlers and invaders, might lead to the removal of much of the uncertainty 

 and doubt that exist as to the indigenous or exotic origin of so large a 

 proportion of her flora ; and might also show, to some extent, what those 

 countries had received from Britain, and from each other. To apply this in 



* On the subject of Introduced Plants in New Zealand, see Paper by Dr. Hooker, 

 F.R.S., and W. Locke Travers, F.L.S., in " Natural History Review," Vol. iv., pp. 123 

 and 617, 1864.— Ed. 



