Notes on the Birds of the Waianae Mouyitains . 37 



again. Few of the blackfellows are free from scars of wounds in- 

 flicfted by these stone knives. 



Spencer and Gillen call attention^ to the curious fact that 

 however old these knives may be the}- always look new and unused. 

 The quartzite is easily cleaned from blood, and the natives show 

 care in keeping the knives free from dirt as they are also used for 

 circumcision and subincision (mika operation) as well as for cut- 

 ting food and for the ordinary needs of life. 



The sheath is made of many laj-ers of the paper-like bark of 

 the "tea-tree" {Melaleuca Ieucodendro7i) placed close together and 

 wound (in the present specimen) with two bands of cord cwisted 

 from fur and vegetable fibre mixed ; the whole decorated with 

 white pipe-clay and red ochre. The tip is decorated with a bunch 

 of emu feathers. Unless considerable care is taken the sheath is 

 liable to become choked by the point of the knife cutting and 

 pushing down parts of the leaves. While the globular handle is 

 usually made of the resin obtained from the porcupine grass 

 ( Triodia ) , in the extreme north this grass is not found and wax is 

 substituted, although not so hard. This specimen, No. 8749, is 

 from the colle(5lion of Mr. Harry Stockdale of Sydney. 



Notes on the Birds of the Waianae Mountains. 



WM. ALANSON BRVAN. 



The following notes and observations on the birds of Oahu 

 were made by Mr. A. Scale and the writer during a colledling trip 

 into the Waianae Mountains, undertaken in the interests of the 

 Bishop Museum. January 21, 1901, found us in the field where 

 we remained until March 9, with the exception of a few days 

 (February 3 to 19), during which time terrific rain storms forced 

 us to suspend our work and leave the mountains. 



For much of the success of the trip our thanks are due Mr. 

 W. A. Buick, manager of Leilehua Ranch, who in addition to 

 rendering us assistance in many ways kindly placed Pukaloa cabin 

 at our disposal. This mountain house, which is admirably located 



3 The Northern Tribes of Central Australia, p. 655. 



[229] 



