president's address. 
641 
to be brought up to date by utilising the results of the investiga- 
tions of Baron F. von Mueller and others to make it of full value 
at the present day. 
Hooker points out that what appears to be the indigenous 
vegetation, and which is, taking the whole continent together, by 
far the most important both in numbers and characteristics, has 
been added to in different ways. The coast strip of the north 
and east has been subject to an invasion of Indian and Malayan 
forms. These are quite distinct in character from the true 
Australian ones, which seem to have had their centre of distri- 
bution in the south-west portion of the continent. 
Mixed up with the flora of the eastern part of Australia, and 
especially in the south, is a group of plants from the northern 
temperate regions, which seem to have forced their march upon 
Antarctic lands by following down the Andes chain to the 
extreme point of South America, leaving traces on the way, and 
thence stepping across by land links, which once existed but have 
now disappeared, the gaps between that continent and New 
Zealand and Tasmania. This element of the flora is most largely 
represented in New Zealand and Tasmania, but has also pushed 
its way up Eastern Australia, particularly affecting the higher 
mountain tops as they proceed northward, and we even find 
representatives on mountains of great elevation in New Guinea, 
and Borneo* 
It is remarkable that among the plants thus introduced into 
Australia there are 17 European species, most of which occur in 
Britain. 
It is almost needless to remark that the typical Australian 
types are with few exceptions absent from New Zealand. 
Hooker further draws attention to the remarkable similarity 
in character existing between the vegetation of South Africa and 
* Trans. Roy. Soc. Vie. Vol. II. Mueller, "Plants of Owen Stanley 
Range in British New Guinea." 
Trans. Linn. Soc. Botany, Vol. II. Part 2. Dr. Stapf, ' ; Flora of 
Mt. Kinabalu in North Borneo." 
