29 



Kauai would show that it eanic piThaps in a later age than ('naiua aiul I'roiii 

 another ancestor, the agent which was responsible for the inter-island dispersal 

 of the o-enns C'ljanca was perhaps at that time extinct or on the verge of being 

 so, which would account for the fact that RoUandia is practically restricted to 

 one island. It is more probalile that the single species found on Kauai by Mr. 

 Forbes is an accidental immigrant, than that the genus is a decadent one and 

 has nearly disappeared from Kauai; if that were the case we would undoubtedly 

 find old ones on the other islands like Molokai. Some may claim that the other 

 islands are perhaps nmch younger than Kauai and Oahu. There is little doubt 

 that Kauai is the oldest island and that the western mountain range 

 known as the AVaianae Mountains of Oahu, is of the same age as Kauai, while 

 the main mountain range known as the Koolau range is prol)al)ly of the same 

 age as l\rolokai and West jNFaui. That inter-island dispersal has stopped is cer- 

 tainly undeniable and in all probability it stopped at about the time of arrival 

 of the ancestor of Follandia. In lioUandia we do not find such remarkable con- 

 trasts in species as in Ciinnca. in fact the species of EoUaiidla are very close to 

 each other both strui-turally and in their habits: one need only compare the 

 small subherbaceous forms of Ciiaiua and the palm-like giants of fiu'ty feet in 

 height. Even the species of RoUandia found on Kauai comes close to Rollaiidia 

 angustifolia from Oahu. Were RoUandia of a greater age we undoubtedly- would 

 find similar gaps as exist in the appearance or stature of the species of Cijanca. 

 This would especially be the case with a species found on Kauai. 



AVIFAUNA OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS PARTIAL TO 

 LOBELIOIBEAE. 



Dr. R. C. L. Perkins in his introductory remarks to section Vertebrata of the 

 "Fauna Hawaiiensis" states: "Remarkable as are some other members of the 

 Hawaiian Avifauna, yet it is upon the Drepanid birds that the interest of the 

 ornithologist will always be centei'ed. The Drepanidcae include thirty-five 

 species belonging to no less than seventeen genera." It may be remarked that 

 the Drepanidrac are a family of birds peculiar to the Hawaiian Islands and that, 

 as Dr. Perkins states, they are of luiknown origin, owing to their dubious rela- 

 tionships with outside forms. "Dr. Gadow has suggested, however, that they 

 are related to the Cnrwhidiu . which fact, if certain, would leave little doubt as to 

 their American origin." A large number of the Drvpanidvar are nectar feeders 

 but Dr. Perkins also notes that nectar is never the sole food, though a most 

 important source of nutriment, he says: "Nectar is undoubtedly alisolutely 

 necessary to the existence of Ifiiiiafinnc, ('lilorodirpanift, Y<'<:tiiinii. Jfniiniiiini- 

 tlins and Drcpauis as they are constituted; small moths, caterpillars, and spiders 

 — their other food — would certainly fail them in sufficient quantity at certain 

 seasons." A number of the Dn /lanidcae have developed long curved beaks 

 "which make one wonder for what purpose sucli an extraordinary development 

 can have taken place." 



"Practically all the jihuits visited by birds for foiul had bcll-slia|ic(l or tubular 

 flowers, in which the nectar was more or less hard to reach; most striking of 

 all are the arborescent Lohciioidiae. and the multiplicity of these jieculiar plants 

 and their isolation from foreign forms bears a striking resemblance to that of 



