xii FAUNA HAWAIIENSIS 



that number. The Insects of the Archipelago were previous to this investigation 

 supposed to be scanty in the number of species, and it was believed that individuals of 

 each species were as a rule also very few. Both these conclusions have now been 

 shown to be incorrect. Dr Perkins estimates the number of known species of this 

 Class of animals to be upwards of 3,300 ; and he considers this number to be probably 

 not much more than one half of the total Hawaiian Insect-fauna. 



The other Classes of Arthropoda are represented by a considerable number of 

 species. Mollusca is specially rich, nearly 500 species or forms having been recorded. 

 Aves has about 50 peculiar species. The other Classes of animals have been by no 

 means satisfactorily investigated, so that no general zoological Census of the islands 

 can yet be given. But it may be said that at the present time if an exhaustive list of 

 the land and marine fauna could be compiled it might amount to 10,000 species, the 

 great majority of them being peculiar to these precincts. And even this number is 

 liable to be greatly increased if the classes of microscopic animals were included ; the 

 Protozoa being, so far as is known to the writer, still untouched. These points are 

 mentioned because it would be a matter for profound regret were it supposed that the 

 work of this Committee — long as it may have lasted — has completed our knowledge of 

 Hawaiian zoology. The Islands having now passed into the control of a State super- 

 abundant in wealth and power we may hope that some real effort may be made, by 

 means of local Associations or expeditions from the United States, to supplement our 

 imperfect knowledge. At present there is so far as we know, only one Natural History 

 Association in the Archipelago — the Hawaiian Entomological Society, established in 

 1905. 



Though the task of the Committee may be considered as still incomplete, various 

 reasons render its dissolution advisable. The Committee has lost during; its existence 

 two Chairmen, and Dr Perkins who has done most of its work is not able to continue 

 to make for it the great exertions he did make for so many years. 



He has however drawn up for us a review of the subject of Hawaiian Zoology. 

 This, in the form of an introduction, will follow this prefatory note. The fauna of 

 the Archipelago has undergone great changes owing to human interference with the 

 natural conditions. It has always been a difficult task to estimate what part of the 

 Fauna is due to recent natural immigration, what to human introduction. The intimate 

 acquaintance of Dr Perkins with the fauna for so many years gives a special value to 

 his review, which, we have no doubt, will be of great assistance to future investigators. 



It will be seen from his Introduction that he considers the whole of the fauna is 

 due to ancient and recent immigration, and is now augmented by human introductions. 

 And the peculiarities of the fauna apparently fully justify this conclusion. On this 

 subject we may refer to Wallace's chapter on dispersal and migration (Geographical 



