seas, the latter the more frequent offenders, are of course a different matter. Easterly and a point north of that being the usual gal quarter in the Loyalties and are frequent in occurrence and kick up big seas. Hurricanes vary in direction and severity. Big seas produced by hurricanes elsewhere are mostly N E or northerly swinging but decreasing through N W to W and south. The Uvea atoll appears to me to have been populated by its birds at a comparatively recent period compared to the rest of the Loyalties. Possibly its vegetation is more recent and the general age of the island much less than the more easterly Islands of the group. I believe species are still just arriving and establishing (Rhipidura) themselves on Uvea, Aplonis is probably more or less recent arrival. Myiagra an arrival slightly before that. Aplonis with its large breeding (generaly 2 families of 4 in a year) should be considerably more numerous than it is, considering the ample supply of nesting sites and food in the form of small banyan figs and fruit (pawpaw etc.) and its habit of living on snails of which there are ample supplies. As I have no means at hand of comparing material from other adjacent areas with Uvea specimens I have no means to tell- ing from whence the different species are likely to have come to Uvea. Though I have small grounds for saying so I have an idea the bulk of Uvean birds did not come originally from the New Caledonian mainland as this seems to be against prevailing hurrican winds and few if any hurricanes would carry birds in that direction the ten- dency being I should imagin in the other direction from Uvea to N.C. It is possible it was populated from Lifu, or from the N.H. either direct or via Lifu the latter seemingly the most likely.