Illing'cvorfh — Early references to Haivaiian entomology ii 



These citations by James J. Jarves, who came here from Boston in 

 search of health in 1837, are only a prelude to his later writing on Hawaii. 

 In his history (25, p. 10) discussing the fauna, Jarves writes: 



Insects are few, though mostly of a destructive or troublesome character. 

 A species of caterpillar at certain seasons destroys vegetation to a great extent, 

 eating even the grass to its very roots. A slug deposits its eggs in the cotton 

 blossoms, which, when ripe, are pierced through by the young insects, and the 

 staple entirely destroyed. Large spiders are very numerous and mischievous 

 weaving strong webs upon shrubs and young trees, in such quantities as to check 

 their growth, and even impede the passage through an orchard. A species of 

 woodlouse fastens upon the limbs, entirely covering them, and which speedil) 

 exhausts the juices; and their growth is for the time effectually checked. A 

 black rust, firm, hard, and stiff, like strong paper, resembling soot in its appear- 

 ance, attacks many varieties of trees and plants, covering the bark, and even the 

 leaves, giving them the singular appearance of being clothed in mourning. This 

 causes no permanent damage, and while it disfigures fruit, does not appear seri- 

 ously to injure it. Rats damage the sugar-cane to a considerable extent, annually. 

 Though the Hawaiian agriculturist escapes many of the evils incidental to other 

 tropical climes, enough exist here to make his labours no sinecure. The noxious 

 vermin, such as mosquitoes, fleas, cockroaches, scorpions, and centipedes, are a 

 modern importation, and have extensively increased. The bite of the two latter 

 causes no perrnanent injury, and is not more injurious than the sting of a com- 

 mon wasp. They are very abundant about the seaports. No serpents, frogs, or 

 toads, have as yet reached the islands. A small lizard is common. 



Later, in his Scenes and Scenery in the Hawaiian Islands, Jarves refers 

 to the extensive silk industry and the many difficulties that beset it. (See 

 28, pp. 105-112 and 164-9.) 



The United States Exploring Expedition being principally a marine 

 investigation, hardly touched upon the land fauna of Hawaii, yet I found 

 two valuable references in the Races of Man by the naturalist, Charles 

 Pickering. Discussing animals and plants of aboriginal introduction (26, 

 p. 314) he says: 



There are, however, uninvited attendants on human migrations; such as, a 

 small species of rat, whose presence throughout Tropical Polynesia, seems nearly 

 universal. On some of the more remote coral islets, the presence of this animal, 

 proved to be the only remaining evidence of the visits of man. 



On the other hand, the house fly, which so abounds at certain coral islands, 

 was uniformly absent from the uninhabited ones. Various other insects, have 

 doubtless been transferred from island to island by human means. 



This, too, was probably the case with the lizards (Scincidae) ; for the 

 agency of drift-wood, seems insufiicient to account for their universal presence. 



In referring to animals and plants of European introduction, Pickering 

 (26, p. 333) writes: 



We were informed at the Hawaiian Islands, that the centipede, was "intro- 

 duced five years previously from Mazatlan." It has greatly multiplied at Hono- 

 lulu ; and during our visit, it made its first appearance on Maui. 



The house scorpion, likewise abounds at Honolulu ; and its introduction was 

 equally attributed to vessels from Mazatlan. The other Polynesian groups, re- 

 main free from the above two pests. 



The natives of the Hawaiian Islands, attributed the introduction of the mos- 

 quito to the same quarter; and we obtained evidence of the possibility of such 

 an occurence, in the larva continuing on shipboard for many days after we left 

 Honolulu. One or more native species of mosquito, were observed at the other 

 Polynesian groups. 



