﻿546 
  Proceedings. 
  

  

  and 
  eiglity-seven 
  species 
  are 
  common 
  to 
  both 
  countries. 
  All 
  the 
  genera 
  are 
  

   represented 
  by 
  identical 
  species, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  Lygodium, 
  Isoetes 
  and 
  

   Pilularia, 
  but 
  only 
  twenty-one 
  species 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  eighty-seven 
  are 
  restricted 
  

   to 
  the 
  two 
  countries. 
  No 
  endemic 
  genus 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  Australia, 
  but 
  in 
  New 
  

   Zealand 
  the 
  beautiful 
  Loxsoma 
  is 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  country 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Hauraki 
  

   Gulf. 
  HymenojjJujllacecB 
  are 
  sparingly 
  distributed 
  in 
  Australia, 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  

   the 
  humid 
  climate 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand, 
  are 
  abundant 
  and 
  luxuriant. 
  

  

  I 
  purposely 
  avoid 
  going 
  into 
  detail 
  on 
  the 
  various 
  matters 
  of 
  debate 
  

   raised 
  by 
  the 
  statement 
  now 
  made, 
  but 
  will 
  briefly 
  summarize 
  the 
  chief 
  

   conclusions 
  to 
  be 
  drawn 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  1. 
  That 
  the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  flora 
  is 
  more 
  closely 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  Australian 
  

   than 
  to 
  any 
  other. 
  Five-sixths 
  of 
  the 
  genera, 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  

   Phanerogamia, 
  and 
  more 
  than 
  one-half 
  of 
  the 
  ferns 
  being 
  identical. 
  

  

  2. 
  That 
  few 
  or 
  no 
  Australian 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  New 
  Zea- 
  

   land 
  flora, 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  aerial 
  or 
  marine 
  currents. 
  

  

  3. 
  The 
  direct 
  connection 
  between 
  Australia 
  and 
  New 
  Zealand 
  must 
  have 
  

   ceased 
  (as 
  stated 
  by 
  Professor 
  Hutton 
  from 
  considerations 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  Animalia), 
  not 
  later 
  than 
  the 
  cretaceous 
  period, 
  or 
  a 
  larger 
  

   proportion 
  of 
  Myrtacese, 
  Proteacete, 
  and 
  other 
  Australian 
  types, 
  would 
  be 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  flora. 
  

  

  4. 
  The 
  paucity 
  of 
  Eosacege 
  and 
  Labiatte 
  in 
  both 
  countries 
  affords 
  proof 
  

   of 
  the 
  ancient 
  isolation 
  of 
  both 
  floras. 
  

  

  6. 
  The 
  occurrence 
  of 
  single 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  characteristic 
  genera 
  of 
  either 
  

   country 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  : 
  — 
  e.g., 
  of 
  Celmisia 
  longifolia 
  in 
  Australia: 
  — 
  of 
  F^mcris 
  

   jnirpurascens 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand 
  — 
  afi'ords 
  direct 
  proof 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  antiquity 
  of 
  

   the 
  species, 
  and 
  of 
  its 
  having 
  attained 
  a 
  maximum 
  of 
  stability 
  under 
  the 
  

   conditions 
  which 
  existed 
  before 
  the 
  disruption 
  of 
  the 
  connection 
  between 
  the 
  

   two 
  countries. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Newman, 
  the 
  President 
  elect, 
  thanked 
  the 
  meeting 
  for 
  the 
  honourable 
  position 
  

   in 
  which 
  it 
  had 
  placed 
  him, 
  and 
  assured 
  the 
  members 
  that 
  the 
  new 
  office-bearers 
  would 
  

   endeavour 
  to 
  do 
  their 
  best 
  for 
  the 
  society 
  during 
  the 
  coming 
  year. 
  

  

  1. 
  " 
  On 
  Barat 
  or 
  Barata 
  Fossil 
  Words," 
  by 
  J. 
  Turubull 
  Thomson, 
  

   F.E.G.S., 
  F.E.S.S.A. 
  (Transactions, 
  p. 
  157.) 
  

  

  2. 
  "Notice 
  of 
  the 
  Discovery 
  of 
  Calceolaria 
  repens, 
  Hook, 
  f., 
  and 
  other 
  

   Plants 
  in 
  the 
  Wellington 
  District," 
  by 
  Harry 
  Borrer 
  Khk; 
  communicated 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  T. 
  Kirk. 
  (Transactions, 
  p. 
  466.) 
  

  

  3. 
  "Descriptions 
  of 
  new 
  Plants," 
  by 
  T. 
  Kirk, 
  F.L.S. 
  (Transactions, 
  

   p. 
  463.) 
  

  

  