THE AXLMAL LIFE OF THE GROrP. 319 



t-lie wings have l)ecome so reduced in size as to he almost hidden in the liody- 

 feathers, and so weak as to be useless in Hight. Almost every square rod of 

 the grassy portion of the island has its pair of rails, and they are. without 

 doubt, the most interesting, industrious and inquisitive creatures in the world. 

 At the slightest alarm they slink into cover under the grass tussocks, only to 

 peel- out cautiously in their endeavor to get first-hand knowledge of the cause 

 of their alarm. Of their many interesting habits none is more entertaining 

 than the way in whicli they secure a portion of their food from the" Laysan 

 canary. 



Lays.\n Canary. 



The Jjaysan canary is a sturd\' little finch-like bird that nature has en- 

 dowed with a .strong bill. One of its habits is to break open the thin-shelled 

 eggs of the terns and other ground-nesting species during the nesting season. 

 However, the canary is seldom allowed to enjoy the fruits of its labor undis- 

 turbed. The little I'ails are always on the lookout, and at the proper nniment 

 will rush out at the canary and, with a great show of fuss and feathers, drive 

 it away from the broken egg. The rail will then calmly spoon up the contents 

 of the egg with its weak, slender bill, leaving the canary to open another egg 

 if it )-eally cares for fresh eggs to eat. As to how this active little rail came to 

 be on the island we can only conjecture. As the species has no near relative 

 that c<in fly over a wide range, it is probable that the ancestors of the Laysan 

 rail came to the islands very long ago by accident, possibly being lost at sea 

 during the season of migration, or may have been stranded there by the sub- 

 mergence of lands connecting Laysan with other islands of the group. Find- 

 ing the i.sland small, but well stocked with food and without serious natural 

 enemies, the species doubtless settled down to live the island life. Having 

 but little use for their wings, they gradually lost the ]iower of flight. 



The Laysan canary is the best songster on the island, and as a I'csnlt 

 m;iny of them have been captured by occasional visitors and carried to Hono- 

 lulu to be kept in cages as pets. On Laysan they are very numerous. Being 

 of good size and absolutely fearless, the.v are most interesting, often coming 

 into the rough houses built by the guano compan.\', to look for seed or to secure 

 a drink of fi'esh water. Fresli water is a real luxury to them, though they 

 neve)' care to bathe in it as ordinary canaries do. 



The ;\Lller Bird. 



Tlie miller bird, as it has been called on account of its unusual fond- 

 ness for a certain species of miller that is very abundant on La.vsan, is a small 

 reed-warbler. This small brown bird is the only representative of this exten- 

 sive family of insect-eatinu- liirds to be found in the native fauna of the group. 

 Ornithologists have been much interested in the discovery of this well-marked 

 species occurring only on this isolated spot of land, since all of its relatives are 

 capable of making exteiuled flights by sea and occur widely distributed in 



