Introduction of wild animals and plants have not been so extensive as in the Hawaiians or other islands. There have been at least five importations of land birds to Micronesia as well as several mammals, other vertebrates and invertebrates. The effect of these established colonies on the native bird life has not been studied. The late world war has brought changes to the population of bird life in Micronesia. The author (1946b) has elsewhere described some of the effects of the bombing, invasion, and occupation of small islands. Some islands, like Peleliu, suffered severely from bombing and invasion operations. Some islands, especially smaller ones like Kwajalein and Ulithi, were partly or almostly entirely cleared of vegetation by occupation forces. Other effects were caused by "recreational" shooting of birds by garrison forces; introductions of pests in materials unloaded; and pest control by clearing, draining, and spraying with DDT and other insecticides to the detriment of inoffensive species. It is obvious that a well-planned program of conservation should be placed in operation to insure survival of the endemic avifauna of Micronesia. THE FUTURE OF ORNITHOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN MICRONESIA Collections of birds have been made at most of the major islands of Micronesia, and it is thought that there are but few if any unnamed birds in the region. The distribution of several species has not been completely investigated, especially those land birds (_Ducula_, _Ptilinopus_, and _Aplonis_) which inhabit coral atolls in the Carolines and Marshalls. The bird life of the northern Marianas is also incompletely known. Continued observations in the Micronesian islands will increase our knowledge of the kinds of migratory shore birds and migratory land birds which reach the island as winter visitors. Further information is needed concerning the breeding activities of sea birds in Micronesia, especially in the Marshalls and Carolines. The systematic status of most of the birds in Micronesia is already established. It is hoped that the present account advances our knowledge of the methods of colonization. Although these fundamental investigations have been nearly completed in Micronesia the field of avian ecology has been relatively untouched. In the past, expeditions have visited Micronesia with the aim of obtaining within a short time collections of the animal life as large and as representative as possible. Many of the collectors made few or no field notes on the bird life; some, like Finsch, Kubary, Marche, and Coultas, made valuable observations on the habits of the birds. Intensive ecological researches may be accomplished more thoroughly by resident investigators, who can devote full time to such pursuits. METHODS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS