8 
Taking Hawaii and Maui as examples, one finds that ung 
extreme upper sections of the middle forest zone, above the tr 
wet forest, are composed of a more or less scrubby growth © 
indigenous trees with an undergrowth of dry district ferns 
and raspberries, technically described as semi-xerophytic 1m 
character. ' : 
This upper belt of rather open forest gradually increases 1n 
density as one descends into the true wet forest zone, until it 
intermingles with the latter. The undergrowth also becomes 
thicker and composed of a greater number of species, until it 
reaches the ideal wet forest conditions, which are so necessary 
for a continued water supply at all periods of the year. Tech- 
nically this type of forest is said to be mesophytic in character. 
Again, taking the same islands for an example we find on 
the lower edge of the wet forest belt a similar state of things. 
There also the typical wet forest merges into a transition type 
which may or may not be composed of the same species that 
are to be found in the wet forest, but which in character is 
different from the wet forest above. In places also the section 
between the wet forest and the area of land now under culti- 
vation is covered by a scrub forest and the introduced guava. 
The point to be made is that it is of paramount importance 
to protect, as necessary adjuncts of the forest system, not only 
the main wet forest but also these intermediate areas. Nature 
has provided that these so-called intermediate conditions of 
forest are requisite to the proper and natural protection of the 
flora contained in the wet forests on the water sheds. 
Of course the formation, botanical composition and geogra- 
phical position of some of our water sheds on other islands 
than those named, where they are not of the same general 
character as those described, are equally worthy of considera- 
tion when studying the natural conditions which are necessarv 
to their proper protection. Let us take for instance Oahu. 
This Island has had all the lands adjacent to the mountains, 
i.e. the water shed areas, stocked with cattle, so that com- 
paratively little is left of any forest other than what may be 
found on the high ridges and plateaus. Even in these places, 
which might be supposed to be almost inaccessible mee ane 
also goats have trespassed more or less and damaged the forests 
on which so much depends in the way 
The result is that there are practically no intermediate or seat- 
tered forest areas existing on Oahn at this time, this Seetim 
having been in the main given up to the graziers and others, " 
of water conservation. 
