the species and persecuted it and been a considerable factor in its decrease. Even so the decrease they caused might not have assumed a serious menace to the status of the species but the heavy persecution followed by the great mortality from natural sources, hurricanes mostly, was too much for the race and placed it almost on the border line of complete extinction. Natural causes have always been present and the species managed to not only exist in fair numbers but thrive and rapidly in- crease between seasons of heavy mortality. Thus, in spite of local Uvean and New Caledonia opinion that other causes are to blame, there can be no doubt the major cause and the root of the danger to the species lies entirely at the door of the live bird fanciers. These are loudest in excuses and reasons for the bad position of the species saying that the few birds they got made little or no difference and either ignored or were ignorant of the fact that very live bird they received probably represented one live one only in 8 or 9 captures and even greater numbers and mortality when young were collected in the nest as natives are careless and bad animal or bird atten- dants and rearers. From what I could gather, the first reason given was that natives persecuted the bird for feathers for dancing masks etc. This was, I believe, entirely a fabrication or shield for their own guilt. Numerous other reasons were added, snakes and rats attacking nests being 2 of the favourites. Even before the cyclone in the early thirties numbers had been greatly decreased and the difficulty of capture was keeping supplies far below the Noumean demand. The advent of the cyclone, which undoubtedly did sadly diminish numbers was hailed as a godsend and now is given 100 per cent of the blame for the