218 A NATURALIST IN THE PACIFIC chap. 



the aggregate a large area elevated more than 4,000 feet above the 

 sea. These elevated regions are almost unrepresented in the 

 southern groups, the Fijian islands being only comparable with the 

 lower levels of the Hawaiian islands below 4,000 feet, and the same 

 is true of all the groups with the exception of a limited area in 

 Tahiti, where the mountains reach a height of 7,300 feet, and of 

 the solitary peak of Savaii in Samoa, which attains an altitude of 

 5,400 feet. Thus the conditions for a high-level or mountain flora 

 which exist in Hawaii are not to be found in Fiji, but slightly in 

 Samoa, and to a limited extent in Tahiti. 



(6) From their position with regard to the equator and with 

 reference to the trade-winds a great contrast between the climates 

 of these three regions — the Fijian, the Tahitian, and the Hawaiian 

 — is, as far as the islands agree in elevation, not to be expected, 

 and in fact does not exist. The Fijian climate, however, is now 

 warmer and more humid, and the general rainfall is greater than in 

 the case of Hawaii, but it is probable that these differences were 

 much less pronounced before the destruction of the Hawaiian 

 forests, which has been in progress since the discovery of the 

 group. 



(7) Anywhere around the coasts of the larger Fijian islands we 

 might expect an annual rainfall of not less than 80 or 100 

 inches. In the Hawaiian group the rainfall at the coast may be 

 anything between 10 and 100 inches, but is generally less than 50 

 inches. In Tahiti, at the coast, it is 50 inches. In all cases the 

 rainfall increases greatly with elevation. In the Fijian mountains 

 the rainfall probably varies between 200 and 300 inches. In the 

 Hawaiian forest-zone it would range probably between 100 and 

 200 inches, though this is probably exceeded in a few localities. 

 In the Tahitian uplands it would doubtless exceed 100 inches and 

 approach 150 inches. 



(8) Quite a different climate prevails on the lofty summits of 

 Hawaii 13,000 to 14,000 feet above the sea. Here the snow lies in 

 winter, and the mean annual temperature is only a few degrees 

 above the freezing point, probably about 36° F. The difference 

 between the mean summer and winter temperatures is very small, 

 and does not exceed five or six degrees. Water freezes here during 

 nearly every night of the year. The daily variation of temperature 

 is very large, the average being probably about thirty degrees. 

 Great dryness of the air prevails, the average relative humidity in 

 August, 1897, being about 43 per cent. There is but little rain. 

 The sun shines fiercely, and the sky is usually clear. 



