22 
deemed their centre, or home. Further still, (in the midst of much 
apparent dissimilarity, which, however, is daily lessening,) there is a 
very great concord, or botanical affinity, between the vegetation of the 
various islands lying in or about the same parallels of south latitude. A 
belt around the globe, containing the Chatham Islands, Juan Fernandez, 
South Chili, the Fuegian and Falkland groupes, Tristan d’Acunha, the 
Cape, Kerguelen's Land, St. Paul's Island, Tasmania, the South-east coast 
of Australia, Lord Howe's Island, the Middleton group, and Norfolk 
Island, all contain the same genera, and in not a few instances (parti¬ 
cularly in the smaller islands) the very same species. And this will be 
much more evident when the whole of the Botany (i. e., including the 
numerous smaller cryptogams, — Musci, Hepatica, Alga, Fungi , and 
JAchenes) of those countries is collectively considered; particularly of 
those, however distant from each other, which partake the same isother¬ 
mal and humid climate. If, instead of writing on the Botanical Geo¬ 
graphy of the Northern Island alone of the New Zealand groupe, I were 
writing on that of the whole groupe, and, at the same time, possessed that 
necessary intimate botanico-geographical and geognostical knowledge of 
the interior of the Middle and Southern Islands which I possess of the 
Northern Island — I should he in a far better position for comparing the 
botanical geography of New Zealand with that of other lands, lying 
within or near the same parallels of south latitude than I now am ; and, 
from what I already know, I believe that hereafter, and only in some 
such way, can the botanical geography of the New Zealand groupe be 
truly and efficiently shown and compared. Nevertheless, this cannot 
presently be done; for (to use the words of Dr. Hooker) “ the subject is 
one that cannot be fully worked out without far more materials than 
have hitherto been collected.When the floras of the mountains 
of South Chili, New Zealand, South Tasmania, the Australian Alps, the 
Crozrts, Prince Edward's Island, Amsterdam Island, St. Paul's Island, and 
Macquarrie Island," [and of all other islets lying south of 27° south.] 
“ shall have been properly explored," [together with their geology and 
climate,] “ the great problem of representation and distribution in the 
South Temperate and Antarctic Zone will be solved. x 
19. Referring again to those genera, which, though not endemic, 
possess characteristic New Zealand species, the following will be found 
to be their geographical distribution, — including, also, a few species 
that are identical — Myosurus aristatus , a plant of the Chilian Andes ; 
* Introductory Essay, Flora Nov. Zcl.> vol. I., p. xxxiii. 
