230 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. Ill, July, 1949 
edly none was to be expected under such 
changed conditions. Bordering canyons ap- 
peared to have relatively unchanged native 
cover, and certain rather extensive high forested 
areas exist in the Kahanui region. As indicated 
by the absence of native birds on the Survey, 
much of the eastern half of Molokai seems to be 
so cut up by areas of altered forest conditions 
that such birds have disappeared. 
Our cursory inspection of southeastern slopes 
of Molokai does not justify detailed analysis of 
the factors which have caused major forest 
changes. It seems clear, however, that the large 
introduced vertebrates have been the primary 
cause. Deer, cattle, and pigs range or have 
grazed over much of the region. Although they 
are most likely to occur in more open areas, the 
deer and cattle have penetrated the deep boggy 
type of native forest and also the less dense 
ohia lehua forest where the slopes have not been 
too steep. 
Our observations on Molokai indicate that 
the remaining native forest birds are rather 
closely restricted to the northeast parts of the 
island where unaltered forest areas are most 
extensive and continuous. Olokui Mountain and 
the sides of Pelekunu and Wailau Valleys prob- 
ably include the major part of the range of 
these native birds. In these regions there has 
been little or no penetration by large intro- 
duced mammals. It seems likely that the con- 
tinued welfare of the remaining native birds 
rests in fair measure on not introducing these 
mammals into the parts of Molokai which they 
have not invaded. Pigs, deer, and cattle appar- 
ently do not now occur in Pelekunu and Wailau 
Valleys, but once in these valleys it seems appar- 
ent that they would work their way up the least 
precipitous slopes and irreparably alter the 
native forest. 
Acknowledgment is made to the Division of 
Hydrography and to the Division of Fish and 
Game of the Territory of Hawaii, to the Uni- 
versity of Hawaii, to the Hawaiian Sugar Plant- 
ers’ Association, and to the United States Army 
for their cooperation in making possible this 
trip to a very inaccessible region. The photo- 
graphs were taken by Robert St. John. 
REFERENCES 
Bryan, William A. 1908. Some birds of 
Molokai. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., Occas. 
Papers 4(2): 43-86. 
Munro, George C. 1944. Birds of Hawaii. 
189 pp. Tongg, Honolulu. 
Richards, Manning. 1946. Birds on Molokai. 
Elepaio 7: 29. 
