396 SUBANTARCTlC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. [Systematic Botany. 



who have visited the southern islands and have interested themselves in their vege- 

 tation, either as observers or collectors, may be mentioned Captain F. W. Hutton 

 (1901), Mr. H. J. Matthews (1895), and Sir J. Hector (1895). 



In June, 1903, Dr. L. Cockayne made his first visit to the islands. All previous 

 explorers had reached them in spring or summer ; and, as the winter aspect of the 

 vegetation was absolutely unknown and undescribed, at any rate so far as the endemic 

 species were concerned, the journey could not fail to be productive of important 

 results. That this was the case is amply evidenced by his paper on " A Botanical 

 Excursion during Midwinter to the Southern Islands of New Zealand " (Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., xxxvi, 225-330). In this he not only gives a detailed account of the "plant 

 formations " which make up the flora of the islands visited, but also contributes 

 a list of the flowering-plants and ferns, and a sketch of the physiography, geology, 

 climate, &c. The greater portion of the paper is, of course, purely ecological, and 

 will no doubt be amplified and extended in the memoir which I understand Dr. 

 Cockayne is to contribute to the series constituting this volume ; but, quite apart 

 from that portion of the subject, the paper is a most important and accurate contri- 

 bution to our knowledge of the botany of the various groups of islands, and must be 

 carefully studied by any one engaged in the investigation of their vegetation. 



In the above remarks I have dealt with the history of botanical exploration in 

 the southern islands prior to the departure of the expedition to illustrate whose work 

 this series of memoirs has been projected. I understand that the reasons for organ- 

 izing the expedition, its composition, and the history of its proceedings will all be 

 fully dealt with in another part of this volume. Nevertheless, I think it incumbent 

 upon me to particularise the various collections placed in my hands. These are as 

 follows : — 



1. The collections made by Dr. Cockayne on the Auckland Islands during the 

 visit of the expedition ; also a more extensive series obtained by him on the Auck- 

 land, Campbell, and Antipodes Islands during his previous visit of June, 1903. 



2. An extensive series of specimens collected by Mr. B. C. Aston ; all, with the 

 exception of a few plants from the Snares, obtained on the Auckland Islands. 



3. A similar collection, also formed on the Auckland Islands, made by Mr. J. S. 

 Tennant, of Wellington. 



4. A series of specimens, partly dried and partly preserved in formalin, obtained 

 by Mr. B. M. Laing on Campbell Island, 



5. A few specimens in formalin obtained on Campbell Island by Messrs. Chambers 

 and Des Barres. 



6. A packet of dried specimens collected on the Auckland Islands by Mr. F. B. 

 Field. 



In addition to the above, I am indebted to Mr. Betrie for the loan of the southern- 

 island specimens contained in his herbarium. Mr. Kirk's collections, mostly formed 

 in 1890, and some of Mr. Buchanan's, collected in 1883, I had full opportunities of 

 studying when engaged in the preparation of my " Manual of the New Zealand 

 Flora." Finally, I have compared all the above with the specimens in my own 

 herbarium, obtained from various sources during the previous thirty years. 



It is, perhaps, necessary to say that, with the view of making the following 

 enumeration as complete as possible, I have included all the species that have been 

 recorded on reliable authority from the islands, whether gathered by the expedition 

 or not. 



