INTRODUCTION ccxxiii 



greatly resemble the surfaces on which they rest, viz. the lichen-covered boughs of 

 trees, and I suspect many of them are rare, since they are by their habits most subject 

 to the attacks of the many birds that hunt for food along the limbs of large trees. 

 Some species of Pagiopahis and Proernus are abundant, living at the base of leaves, 

 where these clasp the stem closely, or amongst dead leaves on growing trees. 

 P. atomarius has its eggs destroyed both by Dipterous [Lencopis) parasites, and by 

 those of an Ichneumonid, and the former are themselves destroyed by the Hymeno- 

 pterous Chalcid genus Eupelmns and by an Eulophid. The Thomisid spiders are, 

 doubtless, e.vtremely ancient inhabitants of the islands. As another Hymenopterous 

 genus, Baeus, containing excessively minute insects, parasitic in spider-eggs, also occurs 

 far in the native forests, some spiders are destroyed by these, though the particular 

 hosts have not been ascertained. 



Of the Lycosidae species of Lycosa and Syrolonia are found beneath the bark of 

 trees, forming tubes of silk for their retreats. Possibly certain burrows formed in the 

 soil, the occupants of which are not known, belong to others of this group, of which 

 some species have been found amongst dead leaves on the ground. The native species 

 of the Attidae are often noticed hunting on the trunks or limbs of forest trees, and hide 

 themselves and nest beneath the bark. They are an important source of food-supply 

 for the native birds. Generally speaking it would appear that the native spiders, which 

 live on low vegetation near the ground, or in places not much investigated by the 

 endemic birds, are by far the most numerous in individuals. 



Review of Mollusca. 



The Mollusca', as listed in Vol. ii. p. 271 et seq. are 476 in number. These 

 represent 15 families, but of these, five (Philomycidae, Limacidae, Helicidae, Steno- 

 gyridae and Paludestrinidae) are unimportant, containing only species that are introduced 

 or possibly in a few cases immigrant. 



The chief interest is attached to the endemic family Achatinellidae, of which there 

 are eight genera containing in all 311 species. 



The Tornatellinidae contain 14 species of Tornatellina and 20 of Aur-iculella. 

 Twenty-seven species of Succinea (Succineidae) have been described, and the Endo- 

 dontidae are represented by 24, and the Zonitidae by 25 species. It will be seen 

 therefore that the great majority of species of land molluscs are contained in compara- 

 tively few genera. 



' I was only able to devote very little time to the collecting of Mollusca, and a great deal of my 

 time was spent in localities, where these are very poorly represented. Only a very brief account of 

 these animals is here given, since they have been so much more studied by Dr Montague Cooke, 

 Curator of Mollusca in the Bishop Museum, and others than by myself, and many new species have 

 been described since Mr Sykes published his paper in Vol. 11. of this work. 



