Mr. W. Townson, of Westport, has for many years supplied me with numerous sets of specimens, both fresh and dried, collected by him in the south-west portion of the Nelson Provincial District, and often obtained from out-of-the-way localities and at considerable altitudes. So little was previously known respecting the botany of this portion of the colony that his collections and notes have been of great service to me.
I am indebted to Mr. A. Hamilton for the loan of his extensive collection of the ferns of the colony. This is not only unusually complete and well arranged, but also contains many specimens of crested and other abnormal varieties.
I have also to record my thanks to Sir James Hector, Mr. J. D. Enys, Mr. G. M. Thomson, Mr. H. Hill, Mr. Justice Chapman, Mr. Percy Smith, Mr. H. J. Matthews, Mr. F. E. Gibbs, Mr. J. H. Macmahon, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. R. H. Matthews, Mr. H. Carse, Mr. Elsdon Best, Mr. R. J. Kingsley, Rev. F. R. Spencer, Mr. H. C. Field, Mr. J. Rutland, Mr. F. A. D. Cox, Mr. J. Hall, Mr. H. H. Travers, Mr. J. B. Simpson, and several others, for the material assistance they have rendered me.
Turning from New Zealand, I have now to express my gratitude to several friends and correspondents in Europe. First of all, I wish to tender my special thanks to Sir J. D. Hooker, who during a correspondence extending over thirty-five years has been at all times ready to give me the benefit of his wide knowledge and experience, and who has evinced the greatest possible interest in the inception and progress of this work. My thanks are also due to Sir W. T. Thistleton-Dyer, the present Director of Kew, for his kindness in granting facilities for the comparison of my specimens with the types preserved in the Kew Herbarium, and for other valuable assistance; also to Mr. W. B. Hemsley, the Assistant Director, who has given me much helpful aid with the greatest readiness and kindness; and to Mr. N. E. Brown, who was specially instructed by the Director to make a comparison of my specimens with the types of the species in Veronica, Gentiana, Myosotis, and other genera, and whose report on the subject has been invaluable to me. I am also greatly indebted to Mr. C. B. Clarke for his unwearied kindness in supplying me with information and critical notes respecting the New Zealand Cyperaceæ, and for furnishing me with a list of the synonymy of the species. Pastor G. Kukenthal, of Grub, near Cobourg, has also contributed valuable notes respecting the New Zealand species of Carex and Uncinia. Finally, I am under
