VI 



A large number of the plates that will illustrate this work are thus of 

 great historic interest, as well as of great scientific value. Others of the plates 

 are taken, by permission, given upon payment of a small royalty, of Messrs. 

 L. Reeves and Co., with the ready concurrence of Sir Joseph D. Hooker, 

 from " Flora Antarctica/' from " Flora Novae Zealandise," and from " Flora 

 Tasmanica." 



Throughout the wort will be found acknowledgment of the assistance 

 -readily and heartily given to the author by botanical collectors and observers 

 in all parts of the colony and beyond it. This acknowledgment refers often to 

 assistance given many years ago, before the- inception— of the present work, but 

 found useful now. A list of those whose help is acknowledged would be too 

 long to be here reproduced, and the numerous and enthusiastic helpers will 

 understand that no discourtesy or ingratitude is shown by the fact that a long 

 list that would cover several pages is not published to supplement the acknow- 

 ledgments penned by the author in the body of the worlc. Special acknow- 

 ledgment is, however, made of the ready help given by the' authorities at Kew, 

 especially by the Director, Dr. Thiselton Dyer, and by Mr. N. E. Brown, and of 

 that given by Mr. J. Britten, of the British Museum. First of all, probably, 

 would the author have acknowledged gratefully the help given at all times by 

 Sir Joseph D. Hooker, and special acknowledgment would certainly have been 

 made of the assistance of Bishop Williams, of Waiapu, of that of Sir James 

 Hector, of the late Rev. W. Colenso, of Messrs. D. Petrie, T. F. Cheeseman, 

 and G. H. Thomson. The courtesy and readiness to help shown at all times by 

 the officers of the Government Printing Office is gratefully acknowledged. 



Note. — The names of authorities for the occurrence of plants in any given 

 locality are printed in italics. A note of exclamation after a name so printed 

 indicates that the author had the opportunity of examining specimens sent 

 from that locality by the collector. Native and popular names are printed in 

 italics-. 



Education Department , 



Wellington, 10th April, 1899. 



