P. O. BOX 
207 
TERRITORY OF HAWAII 
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY 
3310 
HONOLULU. HAWAII 
May 7, 1923 
Dr. Alexander Wetmore 
Laysan Island, Territory of Hawaii, 
U. S. A., Pacific Ocean. 
Dear Dr. Wetmore: 
By this trip of the ’’Tanager” I 
am sending to you, in response to your wireless 
request a quantity of seeds of trees and shrubs 
which might succeed on Laysan Island and also some 
slips of the hau bush. A list of these seeds is 
included in the enclosed letter from my assistant. 
I hope that some of these at least will serve the 
purpose of bringing back some vegetation on Laysan 
which I understand has been badly denuded. 
Having in mind the words of caution 
which you gave to us concerning the introduction 
of birds, some doubt has enter my mind as to the 
advisability of allowing entry into Oahu of the 
Laysan finches which were brought on the last 
voyage of the "Tanager"• 
Only male birds were supposedly 
brought in for entry in this Island but on account 
of the possibility that some of these might be 
females and might escape, propagate and become a 
nuisance, it has been deemed advisable to be dis¬ 
creet, and the Chief Plant Inspector has been 
advised not to allow their entry in to Oahu. He 
has, therefore, arranged to have them sent back 
to Laysan in the interest of bird life conservation. 
Your specimens are being taken care of 
and will go forward to Washington in accordance 
with your instructions. 
I hope that you are enjoying life on 
these desert islands, and hope to see you on the 
June trip. 
Very sincerely yours 
CSJ:K 
Executive Officer 
