DISTRIBUTION OF THE ORGANIC BEINGS 



421 



large number of the species of this sub-group in this one small 

 archipelago, and as a probable consequence of their numbers, 

 the perfectly graduated series in the size of their beaks. Two 

 species of the sub-group Cactornis, and two of Camarhynchus, 

 were procured in the archipelago ; and of the numerous 

 specimens of these two sub-groups shot by four collectors at 

 James Island, all were found to belong to one species of each ; 

 whereas the numerous specimens shot either on Chatham or 

 Charles Island (for the two sets were mingled together) all 

 belonged to the two other species : hence we may feel almost 

 sure that these islands possess their representative species of 

 these two sub-groups. In land-shells this law of distribution 

 does not appear to hold good. In my very small collection of 

 insects, Mr. Waterhouse remarks, that of those which were 

 ticketed with their locality, not one was common to any two 

 of the islands. 



If we now turn to the Flora, we shall find the aboriginal 

 plants of the different islands wonderfully different. I give all 

 the following results on the high authority of my friend Dr. 

 J. Hooker. I may premise that I indiscriminately collected 

 everything in flower on the different islands, and fortunatel\- 

 kept my collections separate. Too much confidence, however, 

 must not be placed in the proportional results, as the small 

 collections brought home by some other naturalists, though in 

 some respects confirming the results, plainly show that much 

 remains to be done in the botany of this group : the 

 Leguminosae, moreover, have as yet been only approximately- 

 worked out : — 



