158 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



The Society Islands. — This group consists of ten principal islands 

 and several small islets. They are high, rugged, and forested volcanic 

 islands, usually with extensive coral reefs surrounding them. The 

 barrier reefs often enclose large lagoons. 



The first island reached was Mehetia (Maitea, Osnaburg) where 

 I landed for half an hour while the ship lay to, but found no land birds. 

 Mehetia may be worth a careful examination by the ornithologist, as 

 it is seven miles in diameter, 1,400 feet high, and is well forested. 

 It is uninhabited. A specimen of Sula hxicogastra plotiis was obtained 

 at this island. 



Tahiti, formerly called Otaheiti, is the largest and most important 

 of the Society Islands. It is in fact the largest in Eastern Polynesia, 

 excepting of course the Hawaiian Islands which constitute an entirely 

 separate group. Its greatest diameter is thirty-three miles and the 

 highest peak has an elevation of 7,321 feet. The island is heavily 

 forested, well watered, and has many fertile valleys which yield an 

 abundance of the plant products of the tropics. There are numerous 

 streams, many of which have at their heads waterfalls of great height. 

 The population of Tahiti probably exceeds 10,000. 



The Albatross visited Tahiti twice, 27 September to 5 October, 

 and again 6-15 November. The accumulated marine collections of 

 the vessel were occupying so much space on board that it became 

 necessary to pack and ship them from this point. This heavy task 

 naturally interfered with the collecting of birds. Only six species of 

 land birds were secured, fruit pigeon {Ptilopus purpuratus), kingfisher 

 {Todirhamphus veneratus), swifts (CoUacalia ocista, and CoUocalia 

 thcspcsia), weaver birds {Lonchiira caManeothorax, and Acgintha 

 temporalis), the last two being introduced. The native name for 

 Todirhamphus is Ru-ru. No attempt was made to get water birds. 

 Tahiti is poor in land birds, there being but few species besides those 

 we obtained. One of these, the large pigeon {Globiccra aurorae), 

 we met with at Makatea in the Paumotus. The Polynesian duck 

 {Anas supcrciliosa) , was seen in the crater lake of Vaihiria, where a 

 hawk, said to have been introduced, was also seen. The frigate bird, 

 tropic bird, and White noddy were found high up among the moun- 

 tains. The kingfisher, Todirhamphus, is common in the heavily 

 wooded sections. So far as our examinations show, it feeds entirely 

 on insects, although frequenting the vicinity of streams inhabited 

 by small fishes. 



The next anchorage after leaving Tahiti was at Bora Bora (Bola 

 Bola) 17-18 November, where three species of birds were secured, 



