8-2 THE SOUTH AND ITS SCIENTIFIC SCOPE 
he reached the Cape on the outward voyage he was already 
planning the book. 
March 1 and March 17, 1840. 
I am now beginning to consider what are to be the limits 
of my Antarctic flora ; if I confine it to 23° North of the 
S. Pole it will consist of one species, I suppose, and that 
the Protococcus nivalis, nor would this be a fair limit to 
poor Flora, as she is guided by climate, not parallels which 
man has laid down and called latitude. My idea is, to be 
guided very much by the temperature of the Islands and 
the nature of the plants they contain. It will be, however, 
difficult to draw the line ; the Straits of Magellan must, 
I suppose, come in with the Falkland Islands, whilst the 
Southern Island of New Zealand, Van Piemen's Land, and 
the Cape will be excluded. The mean annual temperature 
of the Antarctic Ocean is said to be nearly that of the 
Arctic ; if this is the case there must be some unknown 
reason for the comparative barrenness of the Islands of the 
two seas. 
It was a different matter when, later, his father suggested 
that he should undertake complete Floras of some of the places 
he had visited. His answer (November 25, 1842) shows a 
natural diffidence at the thought of embarking on so much 
more complex a task. 
In proposing me to publish Floras of New Zealand 
and V.D.L., I fear you overrate my Botanical powers, for 
I am very ignorant of any plants but those I have seen. 
My strict Flora Antarctica will always begin where the 
Pines cease, and I should hke it to contain the most of 
the country S. of ]\lagelhaens (but Darwin ^ will give me 
good hmits there) provided I can gain access to the proper 
materials. Auckland and Campbell Islands, Kerguelen's 
Land, and the Falklands will be the only other stations except 
what few you have from Macquarie Islands. Do tell me in 
your next what the things are which Frazer ^ sent you : and 
ask Brown whether any things have ever been collected in 
1 As having visited the country on the voyage of the Beagle. 
2 Probably Louis Eraser, 1810-66, who was on the Niger Expedition of 
1841-2 and afterwards took charge of Lord Derby's zoological collections 
at Knowsley. 
