2S 



Mr. Kuhns is very well posted on the work of this weevil and 

 it is gratifying to know that he was unable to find the pest in all 

 the localities visited. No doubt Brother M. Newell did the very 

 best thing when he destroyed the weevils he found on Reed's 

 Island. The same method he then used has been used by many 

 people in Honolulu who grow ferns in inclosures with usually very 

 good results. Unce this weevil escapes into the open forest, how- 

 ever, there is absolutely no hope of a check, and the damage to 

 fern vegetation already noted on Oahu will have a great bearing 

 on the forest cover and future water supply. 



I believe that some action should be taken by the Board of Com- 

 missioners relative to the shipping or taking of ferns from Oahu 

 to the other islands. The Board should also cause an investiga- 

 tion to be made of the general spread of the fern weevil throughout 

 the Islands. Ferns have been taken to all of the other islands in 

 the past, and if this pest has been introduced with the ferns we 

 should knov/ it. It might not be too late to check it as did 

 Brother Newell at Hilo before it gets into the open forests which 

 are so essential for the conservation of water. The damage done 

 to the various ferns soon causes their death, and as much of our 

 forest undergrowth consists of many varieties of ferns, there is 

 every possibility that great damage to the forest cover will result 

 if the beetle is introduced. Once the forest ground cover is de- 

 stroyed, the water supply will be materially shortened because of 

 the run-off. Where now the spongy undergrowth formed by 

 ferns, mosses and other vegetation retains the heavy rains and 

 allows them slowly to percolate into the soil and substrata, when 

 destroyed, the heavy downpour will rush down the mountain 

 sides into the ravines and gulches and thence into the ocean, tak- 

 ing with it much debris and soil. Such damage can now be no- 

 ticed on the slopes of Tantalus. We have not been able to ascer- 

 tain as yet how many of our native ferns are attacked by the 

 weevil, and I believe that this should be studied as soon as pos- 

 sible, even if it should require a special man for the work. 



Respectfuly submitted, 



E. M. Ehrhorn, 

 Superintendent of Entomology. 



