274 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
number of safe retreats, I know of no good reason why most birds 
should not flourish in New Zealand. Mongooses, snakes, and native 
carnivorous mammals are all absent. Pigs, weasels, rats, and 
stoats have been introduced and while they cause some loss among 
the bird population, various agencies contribute toward holding 
them in check. 
Due to protective measures, it is possible that at least some of 
the birds will ‘‘come back.’’ New Zealand has learned her lesson. 
Conservation is now the watchword, and laudable efforts are being 
made to inform and educate the people along these lines. The 
Dominion is still entitled to be called, ‘‘The most interesting 
ornithological province in the world.”’ 
TERRESTRIAL ARTHROPODS 
In conformity with the plan which has been followed in dis- 
cussing the terrestrial arthropods of Fiji, it may be appropriate 
here to enumerate some of the general characteristics of the New 
Zealand forms, along with certain items pertaining to their habits 
and occurrence as well as our experiences in taking a number of 
the more striking and interesting members. Since North Island 
is much larger than Vitilevu and possesses an abundant and 
varied fauna, a correspondingly greater part of it must be omitted 
from this discussion owing to the physical impossibility of becom- 
ing acquainted with much of it in the four working weeks I en- 
joyed in the Dominion. 
From an entomological standpoint, our visit to New Zealand 
was ill-timed, for July and August are the mid-winter months 
there and many of the insects are in hibernation at that season. 
It was only on the warm, sunny days when they were flying that 
we enjoyed any success in sweeping the vegetation; even then our 
catches were confined to the smaller and less conspicuous forms. 
Most of our specimens were taken by turning over stones, logs and 
leaves and by digging into the earth and decaying down timber. 
With respect to the affinities of New Zealand insects, it seems 
likely that the North Island fauna has been derived largely from 
that of the South Island, for often only subspecifie differences 
obtain in forms found on the two islands. Possibly the South 
Island fauna has been derived, in turn, either wholly or in part, 
from South America and Australia; at any rate, as a general 
proposition, it seems to be of a more primitive type than the 
North Island fauna. 
