20 



BRTGHAM ON HA WAHAN FEA THER WORK. 



THE BOOTH CAPE. 



This curious specimen of more modern Hawaiian feather work is almost the only 

 example left on these islands of the use of green feathers for decoration of ahuula. It 

 belongs to Mrs. C. W. Booth of Pauoa, Honolulu, and she traces it back to ber grand- 

 father Baker. Mrs. Booth has also a fine collection of lei and other remains of old 

 Hawaii. The shape of this cape although peculiar in being shorter in the back than in 

 front, is rather attractive as shown in black and white (Fig. 20), but when the prodi- 

 gality of color is added it contrasts unpleasantly with the best examples of the older 

 work. The diagram, Fig. 21, will explain this in the absence of a color plate. 



FIG. 20. THE BOOTH CAPE. 



The basal color is 00 yellow, the upper half of the broad band of yellow consist- 

 ing of older and faded feathers, while the lower is of fresher and indeed beautiful plum- 

 age of the same bird. The narrow lower border is green and seems to be mixed of native 

 on {Psiltaciroslra psillaced) and the feathers of some foreign parrot of which there were 

 a number flying free on Hawaii in the second quarter of the last century (W. T. B.). 

 Above all this comes the extraordinary color scheme consisting of three circles of about 

 six inches diameter with two semicircles of the same size, their diametrical edge form- 

 ing the upper part of the front borders. These circles hang from a deep black band 

 of 00 feathers which also extends down half way between them and is terminated 

 above by a yellow neck-band. The semicircles are of crimson feathers of the apapane 

 i^Himatione sangniiiea), with a circumferential border of parrot-green feathers; the cen- 

 tral circle is wholly of green parrot feathers with the exception of two narrow horizontal 



