THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE. 149 
the test of examination remarkably well. Numerous well-exe- 
cuted plates accompany these papers, signed “ M. L. Kirk, ded.” 
Happy the man who can draw on the members of his own 
family for assistance with pen and pencil! Mr. Buchanan has a 
few papers with brief descriptions of new species of plants, 
some of which are illustrated by lithographic plates; and also a 
short paper on “Campbell Island and its Flora.” Dr. Knight 
continues his studies on the Lichens of this country, and in the 
paper before us deals with 24 species, many of thein new. Three 
plates accompany this paper. Mr. Cheeseman makes still further 
additions to the New Zealand Flora; but themost elaborate botani- 
cal paper in the volume is certainly his “Revision of the N.Z. spe- 
cies of Carex.” The number of species of this and many other 
genera has greatly increased since the publication of the “ Hand- 
book of the New Zealand Flora,” some twenty years ago, and it 
is only by means of such papers as this of Mr. Cheeseman’s, and 
that of Mr. Kirk on Carmuichaelia, that collectors are enabled to 
identify many of the species they find. And in this connection 
it is to be hoped that no great period of time will be allowed to 
elapse before provision is made for the publication of a new 
Flora of New Zealand. The “ Handbook” has been out of print 
about two years, anda work brought out now would command 
such a sale as would nearly recoup the expense of publication. 
A recommendation was sent up last year from the Otago Insti- 
tute to the Governors of the New Zealand Institute on this sub- 
ject, but apparently no notice of the matter was taken ; at least 
no reply was ever received in Dunedin, and the annual report 
contains no reference to it. 
Dae shor. but useful article by Mr. J. A- Pond,:on “ The 
Pottery Clays of the Auckland District,” is the sole contributien 
to the volume under the heading Chemistry. It has always been 
a matter of wonder that so little original work has been done in 
this science in the colony, especially seeing that for so many 
years chemical laboratories have been in existence in connection 
with Canterbury College and Otago University. There certainly 
are not the means here for carrying out many of the researches 
which are being prosecuted in Chemistry in the large and expen- 
sively furnished laboratories of Europe, but there is still room for a 
ereat deal of special work. We hope the establishment of a 
chair of Chemistry in Auckland will stimulate the study of the 
science throughout the colony. The Geological papers are also 
few in number, partly due no doubt to the fact that the work 
done by the Geological Department is published separately. 
The miscellaneous papers are few in number in this year’s 
volume; they consist of a second paper by Mr. W. Arthur, “ On 
the Brown Trout introduced into Otago”; “Some Remarks 
upon the Distribution of the Organic Productions of New Zea- 
lane, by Mr W. L. fravers; “On Sorghum Experiments,”’ 
by Mr. Justice Gillies ; and one on the “ Law of Gavelkind,” by 
Mr. Coleman Phillips. Mr. Travers’ paper is an appeal to natu- 
ralists to work out, if possible, the causes which have led to the 
