2 2 THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



is the army of cats belonging to every house, cur more or less, but it is to be hoped that the 



These marauding felines wander "all over the exponents of Ornithology and Oology will do all 



country" and the good they do in catching they can to further the protection of harmless and 



gophers, rats and mice is more than offset by the useful birds. 



harm they do in destroying brooding birds. D. A. Cohen. 



Quail are plenty in certain localities, but are pre- Alameda, Cal. 



sent thereonly to feed and to take advantage of * <^> * 



the cover and do not nest owing to the presence TAPA CLO PH. 



of the cats. In the foothills these birds have 



been shot off or driven in thick, almost impen- The Sandwich Islanders made when first visit- 



etrable brush. The poor Quail has by far more ed by white man a paper cloth called Tapa 



enemies than any other bird .-in addition to what cloth from the bark of small branches of the 



has been above set forth, the scythe and mowing mulberry tree. (^Broussonetia papyrifera) 



machine plays havoc with the eggs and even with which is indigenous to the islands. The first 



the close-silting hen herself. Removing weeds process in the manufacture of this cloth was a trip 



or brush too near the nest will often cause the K> the interior to secure the bark which was made 



bird to desert the eggs, in whatever stage of in- into small bundles and wrapped in leaves of the 



cubation they happen to be. When the young tea plant. These bundles of bark after being 



are newly hatched they must elude the egg eat- wet with water were buried in some convenient 



ing and carnivorious Jay and must elude the swamp to partially rot for three weeks, after 



prowling cat. Then comes a short respite until which time it was exhumed. The stench from 



the shootingseason opens and the Sharp shinned it is now something awful, but this odor dis- 



Hawk arrives to persistently harry them. appeari during the process of drying. The 



Barn Owls are shot whenever the cliance oc- villianous sineK however does not seem to annoy 



curs. This useful bird should be on the law's the native woman who proceeds to knead and 



protected list. Depending upon a diet of moles, work the plastic mass like dough adding water 



gophers, rats, and mice they are more useful to <'o'" time to time. The puip after being suffi- 



rid the premises of these pests than cats are and ciently worked by the hand is then beaten over 



they hive none of the bil traits of cits ani I are a smooth log or other suitable surface with a 



the only birds or animals in my knowledge that heavy square club called a tapa beater, made 



catch and eat moles. f'O'U the wood of the kauwaiia tree.. The beat- 



The California Screech Owl manages to enj'.y er has designs carved on e.icli of its four sides 



Hfeowing to its nocturnal habits, f hardly know winch leave ilieir imj)riiit on the cloth as it is 



whether to class it among useful birds, owing to beaten out from the |ml|) w ucli gi uluiily H.at 



its habit of eating small birds. tens growing thinner and lliinner and slo*ly 



The Desert Spirrow Hawk has fallen before spreading out un<ler e;icli succe.ssive blow. The 



thegun and is now restricted to remoter districts, thinnest cloth is considered the most desirable 



while the Western Red-tail seems better able to "ot being made now except on rnve occasions 



lookout for himself. and then only by the oldest native women. Th s 



Blackbirds and Larks, shot more or less for cloth is consequently "uich sought after as a 



food, at all seisans, are fast diminishing. relic and curi .sity of the H iwaiian Isl.m.U. 



Parkmtn's Wren and the Plain Titmouse are "• ^^^* *■-- 



gradually being forced away by the pestiferous Mr. H. T. BoMmin reronU a large fin -U of 



English Sparrow. Evening (irosbeaks and also some Califoroia 



Of course the minia forshooting small birds for Purple Finches as seen at Portland-, Oregon, on 



pastime, or brilliant plumaged birds for no good M.irch 2 1 . This seems to Iw an eai ly record for 



reason at all, will, as in any other locality, oc the (iiosheak. 



