has added H. multifidum. In his description of the higher-altitude forest the last-mentioned writer states that here every tree-trunk, tree-fern stem, and dead tree is covered with multitudes of filmy ferns. Epiphytic on the tree-fern stems are T. venosum, H. multifidum, H. dilatatum, and T. reniforme. The filmy ferns are often so thick that they completely hide the trunk of tree or fern on which they grow. In many cases the ground also is covered with a thick carpet of them. In deep forest-clad gullies T. reniforme often grows with extreme luxuriance. Cockayne concludes (p. 314) that, although lacking the most characteristic forest-trees of New Zealand, the flora of the Chatham Islands must be considered a recent offset from that of New Zealand, and he notes that the geological and zoological evidence is in favour of a former land connection. In view, however, of the absence of so many characteristic New Zealand genera, he cites Cheeseman's view of the origin of the flora of the Kermadec Islands. The remaining outlying islands to be considered are those usually designated the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand—viz., the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, and Macquarie Islands—which lie easterly or southerly from the South Cape of New Zealand at distances of 190 to 570 miles (see map 1, on page 68). The plant-covering of the two first-named groups was in part described by J. D. Hooker (19), and of all except the Macquarie Islands more fully by L. Cockayne (12). In 1907 all of the groups were thoroughly investigated by the New Zealand Scientific Expedition, and a full account published (27). The following brief account of the climate and forest-covering of Auckland Island is taken from Cockayne: There are many rainy days, almost constant cloudy skies, very frequent winds which are sometimes of great violence, and a winter climate which is extremely mild—much milder, indeed, than that of certain parts of the South Island of New Zealand at sea-level, as, e.g., the Canterbury Plains. The rata-forest zone forms a belt extending round a considerable portion of the coast of the various islands in the Auckland Group, being more luxuriant, with a richer fern flora at the heads of sheltered inlets. At altitudes of about 400 ft. it gives place to formations of scrub or meadow. The floor of the forest consists of wettish peat. The mechanical effect of the constant and heavy winds has produced a semi-prostrate, stunted and gnarled forest, but owing to the moist mild climate the trees are luxuriantly branched. The canopy of the forest, rising about 15 ft. above the ground, is very dense and keeps the interior calm, and this, combined with the great amount of moisture in the atmosphere, affords very strong hygrophytic conditions in its interior. There is a luxuriant growth of mosses, liverworts, and filmy ferns both on the floor and on the trunks and branches of the trees, and amongst other ferns the strongly hygrophilous Leptopteris superba is to be found in favourable localities. Ten species of Hymenophyllum have been recorded from the Auckland Island rata forest—viz., H. rarum, H. sanguinolentum, H. villosum, H. dilatatum, H. demissum, H. flabellatum, H. minimum, H. Tunbridgense, H. multifidum, and H. bivalve. It will be noticed both that the above list includes the six species which on the main islands of New Zealand show themselves to be the least hygrophilous and the most consistently wideranging in the family, and also that it contains no species of Trichomanes. However, the presence of such comparatively hygrophilous species as H. dilatatum, H. sanguinolentum, and H. Tunbridgense is a striking proof