xxxii FAUNA HAWAIIENSIS 



larger red-bodied dragon flies of the family Agrionidae may even be called conspicuous, 

 while others like A. nigrohamatum have a remarkable appearance as they fly towards 

 one, owing to the bright yellow colour of the face and the striking turquoise-blue of the 

 eyes. Apart, from these it is quite possible for the casual observer to walk through 

 miles of forest and see not a single even moderately conspicuous insect. At the most, 

 moths of insignificant size and appearance are frequently disturbed from tree-trunks or 

 undergrowth, as he walks along. These remarks, it should be understood, will apply to 

 localities, where there is in reality a rich endemic insect fauna, and serve to show its 

 hidden nature. 



The arboreal species of Achatinellidae, though not large, are many of them of very 

 bright colours and even beautiful, but in the woods they are far from conspicuous. It 

 is easy to imagine that any one not specially searching for these, or for other creatures 

 in the same habitat, might pass them by daily without being aware of their existence. 

 Even in the wettest weather they do not move around by day with the freedom of 

 many land Molluscs of other countries. The terrestrial species are of sombre colour 

 and well concealed, as also are many of the species which habitually frequent the trunks 

 and branches of trees rather than the foliage. 



The endemic spiders are mainly inconspicuous and many of the forms that frequent 

 the trunks and branches of trees match their environment so well as to be nearly in- 

 visible. Others remain hidden beneath bark or between leaves spun together. Web- 

 making species are often numerous in shallow caves or hollows in the sides of mountain 

 ravines, or in the cavities of old tree-trunks, or they spin their webs near to the ground. 

 Being so favourite a food of the Passerine birds, the arboreal forms especially, were 

 they not well concealed by day, would have had little chance of survival. The great 

 decrease in the number of native birds may well lead to an increase in the number of 

 spiders, even if it has not already done so. Certainly, in 1892, individuals of the 

 species living exposed on the limbs of trees on Hawaii, where birds were very numerous, 

 were most uncommon. 



Account of time spent in collecting and methods employed. 



Before beginning a more special account of the Hawaiian Fauna it seems advisable 

 to refer to the time that has been spent on the various islands of the group in collecting 

 material. I arrived in Honolulu early in 1892 and during the spring months collected 

 chiefly in the Waianae range of Oahu, partly on the eastern and partly on the west 

 side of these mountains, but more successfully on the latter. Except for an odd day or 

 two I did not attempt the Koolau range, which was the scene of most of Mr Blackburn's 

 entomological field-work. Throughout the summer I was stationed on the west side of 

 Hawaii, working chiefly on Mauna Loa, then a paradise for native birds, and to some 

 extent on Hualalai. Collecting was done at all elevations from the dry coast, through 



