26 



dangers and latignes, in his arduous and solitary task, with 

 the most determined perseverance, the most unflinching cour- 

 age; camping out in the mountains, without a companion, for 

 periods as long as he was able to carry food and equipment. 



As the result of his work the Committee found itself in pos- 

 session of an enormous number of specimens, and in pur- 

 suance of its work decided on investigating this material and 

 reporting thereon. 



It is not possible to state exactly the number of specimens 

 that have resulted from Dr. Perkins' labors, but it cannot be 

 far short of 100,000,' and not improbably exceeds that number. 

 The Insects of the Archipelago were previous to this inves- 

 tigation 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 3300; 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 con- 

 siderable 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 zoologv. 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." 



BEGIN WITH OAIir. 



A detailed biological survey is a time-consuming and ex- 

 pensive undertaking. Parties must be maintained in the 

 field for considerable periods, or numerous short expeditions 

 must be carefully planned and made. In either case a suit- 

 able base is of great importance. For these and other reasons 

 it seems desirable that the Island of Oahu lie chosen as the 

 field for the first biological survey. The following reasons 

 mav be stated : 



