162 
Classification and Description 
circumnavigator. Cook, on his first vovage to these seas in 
17G9 ; as well as those of the Forsters who also accompanied 
Cook on his second vovage of discovery ii i772 ; of Mcn- 
zies, who, in Vancouver’s ship, visited these islands in 1791 ; 
of M. Achille Richard in 1822 ; of D’Urville and M. Lesson 
in 1827 ; and other later botanists. More, however, than a 
fourth part of the whole number, comprising several new and 
interesting genera, was discovered by the two brothers, 
Messrs. Allan and Richard Cunningham; of whom, inde- 
fatigably attached as they both were to the pursuit of their 
favourite science, it may be truly said they fell victims in their 
laudable attempts to make known the botanical treasures of 
a fair portion of the southern hemisphere. To this number 
Mr. Allan Cunningham in his last visit to New Zealand, in 
the year 1838, made an addition of several plants peculiar to 
the northernmost part of New Zealand. 
The number of species of Ferns published in the “ Precur¬ 
sor 17 amounts to eighty-five ; from which, I venture to hazard 
an opinion, atleasttwospecies- Niphobolus bicolor and Doodia 
caudata —will have to be deducted; as, I believe, these will 
be found to be merely varieties of N. rupcstris and Z>. 
aspera . To the total number Mr. C. added four more on his 
last visit; namely, Gleichenia arachnoidea and three species 
o f Lom aria — L. crenulata , L. gig anted, and L. polymorpha. 
During the few remaining months of Mr. C’s. life 1 had the 
pleasure of discovering and forwarding to him a few ad¬ 
ditional species of the following genera, Nothochlcena , Cher - 
lanthcs, Aspidium, Adlan turn, Lomaria , Marattia, and 
Hymenopkyllum . Since that period I have been fortunate 
enough to discover a few others, which have been sent to 
England to Sir W. J. Hooker, by whom they have, without 
doubt, been fully investigated and published ere this. It was, 
however, in a journey which I undertook in the summer of 
last year that I discovered the majority of these contained in 
this paper. 
