152 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology'. 



be regretted that more time could not have been spent in exploring 

 certain well-forested islands, where unknown land birds may exist. 

 The atolls and reefs yielded little but the widely distributed water birds. 



The time of year spent among these islands lying so near the equator, 

 tliat is our winter season, may explain the fact that no nests of resident 

 land birds were seen. 



It is evident that observations on the habits of birds could seldom 

 be made during such hurried trips as we made ashore. 



The expedition proceeded in turn through the Marquesas, Paumotu, 

 Society, Cook, Tonga, Fiji, Ellice, Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, and 

 Ladrone Archipelagoes. These have been classified as Eastern 

 Polynesia, comprising the JNIarquesas, Paumotu, Society, and Cook 

 Groups; Central Polynesia, including the Samoan, Tonga, and Fiji 

 Groups; the Central Coral Islands, of the Ellice, Gilbert, and Marshall 

 Atolls, and Northwestern Polynesia, with the Caroline and Ladrone 

 Groups. 



Although the collection of birds brought back by the Albatross is 

 far from being a representative one, new species were met with in 

 more than half of the groups visited, a fact indicating that there is still 

 much to be learned about the birds of Polynesia. Some of the larger 

 and better known islands have been but little explored ornithologically, 

 and many of the smaller ones not at all. It is probable that the Fiji 

 Archipelago with its 150 islands will eventually yield new birds. 



Our knowledge of Polynesian birds does not extend much further 

 back than the time of the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838 

 to 1842, under Captain Charles Wilkes, when extensive collections 

 were made by Titian R. Peale, Zoologist of the Expedition. 



A period of about a quarter of a century appears to have elapsed 

 before ornithological researches in this region were resumed. Since 

 then there have been many contributions to the ornithology of Poly- 

 nesia. More than 200 species of strictly land birds are now known to 

 the archipelagoes visited by the Albatross. As many of the genera 

 prevail for thousands of miles through the region, the presence of its 

 avifauna may be explained as the result of immigration. The dis- 

 tribution of a few species has been extended through the agency of 

 human beings. 



The long-delayed appearance of this report is due to the fact that 

 the present writer left AYashington soon after the return of the Alba- 

 tross and never had an opportunity to study the collection of birds 

 brought back and placed in the U. S. N. M. He is deeply indebted to 

 Mr. Wetmore for the careful study he has made of the material. 



