45 2 Willis. — The Distribution of Species in Nezv Zealand . 
three in the class going down to 760, and one out of two in the class going 
down to 640, belong to the genus Clematis , which was therefore evidently 
an early arrival. And so on. 
To proceed : as it is very probable that the land connexion to New 
Zealand was severed long before that to Ceylon, we shall expect to find that 
both wides and endemics will show comparatively few in the early or bottom 
stages of the table, and much greater crowding higher up, though the wides 
being the older will show both these phenomena more markedly than the 
endemics. 
Both these predictions are borne out by the facts. Of the Ceylon c wides * 
222 out of 2,000, or 11 per cent., occupy areas usually not over ten miles in 
diameter, while in New Zealand only 21 out of 399, or 5-2 per cent., occupy 
areas not exceeding 40 miles in diameter. And of these 21 it is fairly 
certain that a part are introductions of recent date, for the number in the 
class above (40 to 160 m.) is only 9, or 2*2 per cent., of the wides, and the 
numbers, down to this class, decrease regularly. Those in this ninth class 
occupy areas equal to those occupied by rather common, or even common, 
species in Ceylon. 
It is of interest to note what Cheeseman says about these 21 widely 
distributed species in his flora : 
1. Ranunculus parviflorus , L., var. australis. 1 N. Island : sheltered places on lava- 
streams, Mt. Wellington and Mt. Eden, &c., Auckland Isthmus ; once very plentiful 
but now becoming rare ... A common Australian plant, and possibly introduced 
from thence in the very early days of the colony/ 
2. Hymenanthera chathamica^H .Kirk. ‘ N. Island: Wellington — Patea. Chatham 
Islands. . . . Patea specimens have neither flowers nor fruit, but appear to belong to 
the same species/ 
3. Aralia Ljyallii, T. Kirk. ‘ S. Island: Coal Island, Preservation Inlet. Stewart 
Island and adjacent islets. The Snares. Has precisely the habit of Stilbocarpa polaris , 
and in a flowerless state may easily be taken for it ' (this species occurs on the Auck- 
lands, Campbells, Antipodes, and Macquarie). As it only occurs on one islet at the ex- 
treme south end of South Island, it may quite possibly have reached there accidentally. 
4. Senecio Slezvartiae, Armstr. (Flora, p. 378). ‘Herekopere Island (in Foveaux 
Strait). The Snares/ Another coastal species which may have been accidentally 
introduced in recent times. 
5. Limosella Curdieana, F. Muell. (Flora, p. 489). ‘ S. Island: watery 
places in the Manuherikia valley/ This valley lies in the centre of the island. 
6. Veronica Anagallis , L. (Flora, p. 546). ‘ N. Island : Hawke's Bay, watery 
places, Colenso. Not observed since its original discovery by Mr. Colenso more than 
fifty years ago. Although a widely distributed plant in the Northern hemisphere, it is 
unknown in the Southern except in South Africa, where it is supposed to be an intro- 
duction, and in New Zealand. Possibly Mr. Colenso’s specimens were introduced as 
well, but if so it is remarkable that the plant should have entirely disappeared/ This 
was evidently an introduction. 
