THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. . 311 



favorite food in the old days, much resembling squab in flavor, and were pre- 

 ferred on the Hawaiian table over the tropic bird, whose flesh had a strong 

 fishy flavor. These species all lay but a single dull-white egg. "Without doubt 

 all fdur of the cliff-nesting species mentioned above are doomed to extinction 

 in the islands, owing to the inroads made upon them by the mongoose, which is 

 a serious menace to all ground-nesting birds. 



Perhaps the average person sees more birds from the deck of an island 

 steamer than in any other way. In fact, most of the more common day-flying, 

 sea-going species may be identified by a jiractised observer while crossing the 

 channels between the islands. 



Terns. 



The small, graceful black liird with a silvery-gray crow'u. Hying usually 

 in small flocks, is almost sure to l'.i> the Hawaiian tern,^ although it is easily 

 confused wnth its cousin, the noddy tern.'' from which it ditt'ers chiefly in 

 being a trifle smaller and of a more slender build. 



Both species are active fishers, capturing their prey by flying close to 

 the surface of the ocean and swooping (Io\\ii upon any of the snuill, unwary 

 species of fish that abound in Ihc sin i'acc \v;itrr five oi' ten miles off the coast. 

 Both of these graceful birds have nuu'h tlie same habits and disposition. The 

 wi'itcr luis taken the nests and eggs of both species from crevices in steep sea- 

 clifl's as well as from the tops of low bushes growing on the flat sand islands of 

 the group. Both birds were formerly used to some extent as food. They were 

 usually captured by the natives at night by tlie aid of torches. The light 

 served to bewilder the bii"ds, causing them to fly, aimlessly aboiit. when it was 

 an easy matter to knock them down with sticks and poles. 



Like many sea-birds, both species lay but a single egg, which they ])lace 

 on a small heap of sticks and seaweed that serves as a nest. The eggs are 



^ Micranous hawaiiensis. ^ Anoiig stnlidus 



Desckiption' of Plate. 



i. Viow of birdlife on Laysan (opposite side of the grunp shown in hg. 7). In the 

 burrow, Bonin Petrel {jEstrelata hypoleuca) ; under the bnshe.s a Red-tailed Tropic Bird 

 {Phaethon riibricauda) ; on the bushes two Noddy Terns {Anous stoUdus) and an old and 

 young Hawaiian Tern [Noio] (llicranous hawaiiensis) ; on the rock and bushes a Red-footed 

 Booby {Stda piscator) ; on the rocks two old and young White Terns (Gygis alba kittlitzi) ; 

 on the sand one Christmas Island Shearwater {Piifpniis nativitatis). 2. Pair of Man-o- 'war 

 Birds [Iwa] (Fregata aquila) on the nest showing the large red gular pouch on the male. 

 3. Group showing old, young, immature and egg of the Black-crowued Night Heron [Aukuu 

 kohili] {Nycticorax nycticorax mrvius). 4. Black-footed Albatross (Diomedea nigripes). o. 

 Group of Hawaiian shore-birds; five Turnstones [Akekeke] (Arenaria interpres) are shown 

 in the act of lighting; on the rock a Bristle-thighed Curlew [Kioea] {Numenius tahiti( nsis) : 

 to the left Hawaiian Stilt | Kukuluaeo | {Himantopus Icnudspiti) ; by the water's edge I'luitii- 

 Golden Plover [Kolea] {Charadriiis doniiiiicKs fulru.i) ; one just rising and one prci'iiinif 

 Wandering Tatler [Ulili] {Heteractitis incanu-s). 6. The Hawaiian Goose [Nene] (Xixurlu n 

 siuiiliicciittis). 7. Opposite side of fig. 1, Birds in flight Sooty Tern {Sterna fuligiiiosa) : 

 on the bushes Red-footed Booby (Suhi pisraior) ; on the ground left Blue-faced Booby (Sida 

 cyaiiops) ; on the ground in center (Jrey-backed Tern {Stenin Innata) ; in the deeper hole 

 Buhvers Petrel {Btdweria bidieeria bidircrl) : in tlie shallow burrow Wedge-tailed Shearwater 

 (Priofinus euneatus) old and young. 



