[Issued separately, 30th September, 1931.]

Owing to the industry of South Island collectors in the past, its moss flora has been decidedly better known than that of the North, with the result that a number of species are recorded as being confined to the former region. Of late, however, a good deal of field work has been done in several districts of the North Island, and this has led to the discovery of several southern species. Unfortunately, our knowledge of the distribution of the mosses in this country is so slight that the finder of a new station for a species has practically no data on which to decide whether he is confronted with a case of discontinuous distribution, more or less extreme, or whether there is a chain of intermediate stations linking up his find with the nearest known locality. Generally speaking, bryological collections are not made except by those specially interested in the group. The consequent paucity of field-workers and the outstanding difficulty of their task make it impossible for them to form any but provisional views on the distribution of even the most common species. So far as the rarer sorts are concerned, it suffices to mention that in the last few years, at least ten new or unreported species have been found in New Zealand, including representatives of genera, and even families, new to the country! In the subjoined list of South Island species found in the North Island, I have relied chiefly on Dixon's Studies in the Bryology of New Zealand for information as to the localities of the mosses in the south; whilst with regard to the North Island I have attempted, where the scanty knowledge at my disposal warrants it, to forecast what future research may show to be the comparative rarity of the species. A large or conspicuous plant is, of course, more easily established as “rare” than a small or insignificant one, and up to a point this is very true of the mosses, some of which are so handsome and striking as to catch the eye of a casual observer, whilst others are so insignificant as to escape the notice of an experienced bryologist. But it does not necessarily follow that because a moss is of striking appearance it will on that account be collected or noted by a student of the group. It may easily be passed over because of its superficial resemblance to some other species, and in this connection it must be remembered that very many mosses, even when in fruiting condition, cannot be identified without a microscopical examination. To put it bluntly, mosses often look very much alike, and the field-worker can never feel sure that he has noted or collected everything that even the most limited area has to offer. In order to facilitate the application of these considerations to the species in the list, I have given some particulars of size and appearance.