THE NATIVE FLOWERS OF NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8465, 7 May 1889, Page 3

THE NATIVE FLOWERS OF NEW ZEALAND.

Ws take the following from the Guardian of February 13th: — "A good book dealing with a new flora is always a matter of congratulation. This book of Mrs Charles Hetley's is a gain both to botanists and to all who really care for flowers. It has sometimes been said that New Zealand had only ferns and no flowers. Sir Joseph Hooker's great work on the New Zealand flora, now out of J print, partly dispelled that mistake. Mrs ] Hetlsy'B is the only illustrated book on j the subject that has appeared since. It, of course, makes no pretence of rivalling bis ; yet in at leaßt one important point it is decidedly superior. Many of Hooker's plates bad to be done not from living, but from dried specimens ; be never saw the flowers alive, and had, in some instances, to rely for his colouring almost entirely on the memory of his collector?, hence inaccuracies. Mrs Hetley'o plates, on the other band, are every one made from flowers wnich she saw growing wild. She has lived many years in New Zealand, and has bad the opportunities of studying its flowers at all seasons, and she baa travelled over most of the country on purpose for such study, paying special attention to the Southern Alps. Besides this, many of her flowers are not found in Hooker, never having been painted before. If we say that she is scientific first and artistic afterwards, this muat not be taken to imply any disparagement of tbe beauty of her drawings. On the contrary, they are beautiful to eyes quite innocent of botany ; but their charm has never been gained at tbe expense of accuracy, and their faithfulness gives them a real character, interesting even to those who cannot appreciate their scientific merit. Each principal plate represents & flower, natural size, and is accompanied by careful stctional drawings. The work bas a peculiar and rather -melancholy value, for the flora of New Zealand is fast disappearing owing chiefly to tbe practice of burning tbe bush; and in the course of some years these admirably correct representations will, it is to be feaied, be our best record of many flowers irrecoverably lost to us- Tbe first two parts of the book are out, and a third is to follow shortly. How many more partß will see the light depends upon the demands for these : the more tbe better, especially for science." Tbe book is published by Messrs Sampson Low & Co., London.