X X V I FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND.
g ists, w ith th o s e laws th a t gOA'ern an im a l life a l s o ; b u t th e r e is n o th in g in Avhat is a s sum ed above,
iu faA'our o f th e a n tiq u ity o f species a u d th e ir wide d is trib u tio n , th a t is in c o n s is te n t w ith an y th c o iy
o f th e ir o rig in th a t th e sp e cu la to r m a y ad o p t. NIy o b je c t h a s n o t so m u c h b e e n to a s c e rta in Avhat
m a y , o r m a y n o t, h av e b e e n th e o rig in a l co n d itio n o f species, as to show th a t, g r a n tin g m o re scope
fo r vai’ia tio n th a n is g e n e ra lly allowed, s till th e r e ai’e n o u n a s sa ilab le g ro u n d s fo r co n c lu d in g th a t
th e y now v o i j so as to o b lite ra te specific c h a ra c te r ; in o th e r words, I h av e en d e av o u red to show
th a t th e y ai’e, fo r a ll p ra c tic a l p u i’p oscs o f p ro g re s s in b o ta n ic a l science, to b e re g a rd e d as p e rm a n
e n tly d is tin c t c re a tio n s , w h ich h av e su rv iv ed g r e a t g eo lo g ical ch an g e s, a n d AAdiich A\ill c ith e r die
o u t, o r b e d e stro y ed , w ith th e ii’ d istin ctW e m a rk s u n c h a n g e d . W e h av e d ire c t evidence o f th e
im p o v e rishm e n t o f th e flo ra o f th e g lo b e , in th e e x tin c tio n o f m a n y m o s t p e c u lia r in s u la r species
w ith in th e la s t c e n tu r y ; b u t w h e th e r th e b a lan c e o f n a tu r e is k e p t u p b y tlie c o n s eq u en t in c re a se o f
th e r em a in d e r in in d irid u a ls , o r b y th e su d d en c re a tio n o f nciv ones, docs n o t ap p e a r, n o r h av e
we a n y m e an s o f k n o w in g : if th e exp ressio n o f a n o p in io n b e in s is te d on, I s h o u ld h e in d u c ed to
follow th e ex am p le o f a n em in e n t a s tro n om e r, who, w h en th e q u e s tio n was p u t to h im , as to w h e th e r
th e p la n e ts a re in h a b ite d , re p lie d th a t th e e a rth was so, a n d le f t h is q u e ris t to a rg u e from ana logy.
So w ith re g a rd to species, we lo iow th a t th e y p e rish su d d en ly o r g rad u a lly , w ith o u t Amrying in to
o th e r fo rm s to ta k e th e ir p la ce as species, from AAffiich e s ta b lish ed p rem is s th e sp e cu la to r m a y draw
h is own conc lusions.
A n d n ow th a t I h av e b ro u g h t th e s e d e su lto ry o b se rv a tio n s to a close, I c a n n o t reAueAv th em
Avithout fe a rin g th a t I m a y in c u r th e ch a rg e s of, o n th e o n e h a n d , a ttem p tin g to p rom o te a s p irit o f
th e o re tic a l in q u fry am o n g st th o s e n a tu r a lis ts o f th e d is ta n t colony whom I Avould fa in in s t r u c t ; a n d
o n th e o th e r, o f giAung way to i t myself, a n d o c cu p y in g th e tim e o f m y re ad e rs w ith w h a t is w ith
to o m a n y th e fo u n d a tio n o f fru itle s s co n tro v e rsy . I n answer to th e firs t I wo u ld say, th a t th e
sp e cu la tio n s w h ich I h av e en d e av o u red to com b a t a re b e c om in g w id ely s p re ad am o n g st superficial
observ ers, an d a re q u o te d eA^ery d ay as o b je c tio n s to th e d ev o tio n o f tim e a n d la b o u r to a sy s te m
a tic in q u iry in to a n y b ra n c h o f N a tu i’a l H is to ry . T h e v e ry m a n y a sp ira n ts to a k n ow led g e of
science wh om I h av e h a d th e p le a su re o f k n ow in g in th e Colonies, th o u g h w e ll ed u c a ted in th e
o rd in a ry a c c ep ta tio n o f th e te rm , h av e n ev e r b e e n tr a in e d to h a b its o f o b se rv a tio n , o r o f re a so n in g
u p o n w h a t th e y re a d in th e b o o k o f n a tu re , n o r h av e th e y b e e n g ro u n d ed in th e e lem e n ts o f n a tu r a l
s c ie n c e ; th e y a re h en c e p ro n e to re ly fo r in fo rm a tio n o n th e se sp ecu lativ e su b je c ts (which th e y seek
Avith aAudity) u p o n a class o f w o rk s th a t are, Avith v e ry few ex c ep tio n s, b y a u th o rs Avho h av e no
p ra c tic a l a c q u a in ta n c e Avith th e sciences th e y Avrite ab o u t, o r w ith th e facts th e y so o fte n d is to rt.
I h av e fu rth e r h a d a m o re p ra c tic a l o b je c t in view— th e offerin g o f th e o re tic a l re a so n s fo r in c u lc a tin g
c a u tio n o n th e fu tu re b o ta n is ts o f N ew Z e a la n d ; I h av e en d e av o u red to m a k e i t c le a r to th o s e who
m a y r e a d th e s e rem a rk s, th a t sy stem a tic b o ta n y is a fa r m o re difficult an d im p o rta n t o b je c t th a n
is g en e ra lly su p p o se d ; th a t th e p ro g re s s th e s tu d e n t Avill m a k e liimself, a n d h cn c c th a t th e science
Arill m a k e in h is co u n try , is n o t to b e m e a su red b y th e n um b e r o f ncAv species h e m a y find, b u t by
h is m a n n e r o f tr e a tin g th e old, a n d h is d e sire to re g a rd a ll as p a rts o f th e v eg e tab le k in g d om , an d
n o t o f th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo r a o n ly ; a n d th a t th e r e is no s u re r s ig n o f h is n o t ap p re c ia tin g th e aim
an d scope o f th e science h e cu ltiv a te s, th a n a c rav in g to lo ad i t w ith n am e s , a n d to ta k e c o n tra c te d
Auews o f species, th e ir vai’ia tio n a n d d is trib u tio n .
T o th o s e Avho m a y ac cuse m e o f g iv in g way to h a s ty g en e ra liz a tio n o r loose sp e cu la tio n o n th e
a n tiq u ity a n d d ispersion o f p la n ts over p a rts o f th e S o u th e rn H em isp h e re , I m a y ansAvcr, th a t no
sp e c u la tio n is id le o r fru itle s s , th a t is n o t ojiposed to tr u th o r to p ro b ab ility , a n d w h ich , w h ils t it
co -o rd in a te s a b o d y o f Avell e s ta b lish e d facts, does so Avithout rio lc n c c to n a tu r e , a n d Avith a d u e re g a rd
to th e p o ssib le r e s u lts o f fu tu r e discoveries. I m a y ad d , th a t a fte r tw e lv e y e a rs ’ d ev o tio n to th e
lab o rio u s a c c um u la tio n a n d a r r a n g em e n t o f facts in tlic field a n d clo se t, u n tram m e lle d b y a n y th e o rie
s to com b a t o r v in d ic a te , I h av e th o u g h t th a t I m ig h t b rin g fo rw a rd th e co n c lu s io n s to w liich m y
s tu d ie s h av e le d m e , Avith le ss ch an c e o f in c u r r in g s u ch a rep ro a c h , th a n th o s e would, who, w ith fa r
b e tte r ab ilitie s a n d ju d gm e n t, h av e n o t h a d m y ex p e rien c e a n d o p p o rtu n itie s.
C H A P T E R I I I .
§ 1. ON THE PHYSIOGNOMY AND A F F IN IT IE S OF TH E NEW ZEALANH) FLORA.
I n th e following rem a rk s , th e flowering p la n ts a lo n e o f N ew Z e a lan d a re re fe rre d to , ex c ep t w h en it
is o th e rwise s ta t e d ; m y o b je c t b e in g p rim a rily to show th e r e la tio n b e tw e en th e b o ta n y o f N ew
Z e a lan d a n d th a t o f th e s o u th tem p e ra te c o n tin e n ts , I h av e , fo r sev e ra l re a so n s , co n s id e red th a t
th e in tro d u c tio n o f th e F e rn s even Avas n o t ex p e d ien t :— 1. B e c au s e th e y in c lu d e o n ly o n e fam ily o f
Cryptogamia, an d th a t th e o n ly o n e tow a rd s a knOAvledge o f whose n um b e r a n d d is tr ib u tio n in N ew
Z e a lan d Ave h av e even a p p ro x im a te ly a c c u ra te d a ta .— 2 . B e c au s e th e d iffu sio n o f th e ir m in u te spores
is so u b iq u ito u s * , an d th e ir g row th is so d e p e n d e n t o n o n e c lim a tic e lem e n t, v iz . h um id ity , th a t
th e ir g eo g rap h ic d is trib u tio n does n o t h a rm o n iz e w ith th a t o f flowerin g p la n ts iu g en e ra l.
T h e tra v e lle r from Avhatever c o u n try , on a r r i r in g in N ew Z e a lan d , fin d s h im s e lf suiTOunded by
a v e g e ta tio n th a t is a lm o s t w h o lly n ew to h im ; Avith l i t t l e th a t is a t firs t s ig h t s trik in g , ex c ep t th e
T re e -fe rn a n d CordyUne o f th e n o r th e r n p a rts , a n d n o th in g fam ilia r, ex c ep t p o ssib ly th e MangroA’e ;
a n d as h e ex ten d s h is in v e stig a tio n s in to th e F lo ra , w ith th e ex c ep tio n o f P om a d e r r is a n d Lep to sp e r-
mum, h e finds few fo rm s th a t rem in d h im o f o th e r c o u n trie s . O f th e n um e ro u s P in e s , v e ry few re c a ll
by h a b it an d ap p e a ran c e th e id e a a tta c h e d e ith e r to tre e s o f tliis fam ily in th e n o r th e r n h em isp h e re , o r
to th e Ca llitris o f N ew H o lla n d , o r to th e A ra u c a r iæ o f t h a t c o u n try a n d N o rfo lk I s l a n d ; w h ile o f
th e families th a t o n e x am in a tio n in d ic a te th e o n ly close a ffin ity b e tw e en th e N ew Z e a lan d F lo r a an d
th a t o f an y o th e r c o u n try , (th e M y r ta c eæ , E p a c rid eæ , an d Proteaceæ,) few re s em b le in g e n e ra l a sp e c t
* A most remarkable exemplification of this is found in the occurrence of Lycopodium cernuuni (a most universally
distributed Fern in all warm climates) in the Azores, where it grows only around some hot springs. Within
the last few months it has been also collected in St. Paul’s Island (lat. 38° south), by the naturalists of Captain
Denham’s Expedition to the Pacific Islands : there, too, only where the ground is much heated by springs. These
facts are most remarkable, for the Lycopodimi cermmm does not inhabit Madeira or any spot in the Azores, except
the vicinity of the hot springs, and St. Paul’s Island is also far beyond its natural isotbermal in th a t longitude of the
southern hemisphere; and it is to be remarked, that in neither island is the Lycopodiim accompanied by any other
tropical plant, which would indicate the aerial transport of larger objects than the microscopic spores of Lycopodia,
which are raised in clouds from large sm’faces covered with the gregarious species.