CHAPTER XIX 

 the inland plants of the pacific islands 



Preliminary Comparison of the Physical Conditions of 

 Hawaii, Fiji, and Tahiti 



Introductory remarks. — The tranquil working of the winds and currents con- 

 trasted with the revolutionary influence of the bird. — The Hawaiian, Fijian, 

 and Tahitian groups. — Their surface-areas and elevations. — Their climates. 

 — The mountain climate of Hawaii. — The rainfall of the three groups. — 

 Summary. 



Introductory Remarks. 



I WILL carry my readers back to that moment when we began to 

 investigate together the composition of the floras of the islands of 

 the tropical Pacific from the standpoint of dispersal. It will be 

 remembered that after collecting all the fruits and seeds of a 

 particular island we placed them in sea-water, and that some nine- 

 tenths of them went to the bottom at once or in a few days. We 

 found, speaking generally, that the buoyant seeds and fruits 

 belonged to coast plants, whilst those at the bottom of the vessel 

 proved to be obtained from inland plants. Since that period we 

 have been occupied in following up the clue supplied by the floating 

 seeds and fruits. In their company we have travelled far beyond 

 the Pacific islands. We have not only seen their fellows in other 

 parts of the tropics, both on the coral atoll and on the continental 

 coast, but we have met their representatives on the beaches of 

 Europe and of temperate South America. We have followed them 

 in their ocean traverses round most of the tropical zone, and on the 

 way we have naturally interested ourselves in the question of the 

 currents. We have weighed these seeds and fruits and have 

 compared their specific weight with that of sea-water. We have 



