-4- special" from the Acting Governor. Odd material has come from this group from one Young, Lt. Mar- olles, and sailors, etc. Most of the naturalists who have visited Tahiti have added little or nothing to a knowledge of its ornithology, and few of them appear to have ventured into the mountains. A careful exami- nation of the latter will bring to light more information regarding the Tubinares mentioned by Peale, but also perhaps disclose several unknown genera of forest birds, such as was done in the island of Hawaii a few years ago. The avifauna of Hawaii was long looked upon as fairly well "known", but upon applying modern collecting methods to it about ten hitherto unknown genera were brought to light, and some of the supposed extinct species were found to still exist in small numbers. The same experience is likely to be re- peated on any of the larger or well-forested islands in Polynesia. Somewhere on the island of Tahiti there may be found a suitable tract, marsh or water-surrounded spot, where cats and pigs have not yet quite exterminated some of the species found by Forster and early visitors. There are only a few records from Bellingshausen and Tubai, one each from Marua and Maitea, with none at all from Mopeha', Tapamanu, and Tetuaroa (except possibly a lory). Maitea seems a seems a likely place for some of the old species described by