34 MacCaughey, The Hawaiian Elepaio. [j" n 



The breeding season begins in the late winter and early spring 

 (February, March, April), during the latter part of the rainy season, 

 and is conditioned by the severity of the rains. Eggs and young 

 have been found in the nests in March, April, and May. The 

 species are single-brooded. 



The nest is the most ornate and easily found of the known nests 

 of Hawaiian birds. The nests and eggs of all three species are 

 identical in every respect. The nest is usually built in a small tree, 

 6-40 feet from the ground. Occasionally it is placed near the 

 ground, but this is exceptional. Henshaw found a nest on a 

 horizontal tree-fern trunk (Sadleria) within two feet of the ground. 

 The Elepaio apparently does not nest in the very high treetops 

 (60-90 ft.) The average elevation is about 20 ft. It is the only 

 Hawaiian woodland bird that habitually nests at low elevation 

 from the ground. 



In this connection it should be noted that the introduction of 

 the Mongoose (Hcrpestes griscus) in 1883, for the purpose of eradi- 

 cating rats from the sugar-cane fields, resulted in great damage to 

 native bird life. The Mongoose quickly found its way up into 

 the forest zones, and has seriously decimated the ranks of all low- 

 nesting birds. The author has found the Mongoose, for example, 

 in all parts of the Oahuan forests, up to an elevation of 2500 ft., 

 and on Maui and Hawaii it ranges to much higher elevations. 



The Elepaio shows no preference for any particular species of 

 tree or shrub, but uses any one that is suitable for its purpose. 

 Nests have been found in Mctrosidcros yolyvioryha, Acacia koa, 

 Dodona'a viscosa, Santalum frcycinctianum , Pipturus albidus, Maba 

 sandwichcnsis, and other common trees of the humid forests. 

 Interesting light is thrown upon the Elepaio's adaptability by the 

 fact that it occasionally nests in the dense thickets of foreign intro- 

 duced shrubs, such as guava (Psidium guayava) and lantana 

 (Lantana caviar a). These invaders now cover large areas in the, 

 lower portions of the Elepaio's range. The other native birds 

 are practically never found in these naturalized thickets, but the 

 Elepaio has evidently taken the change as a matter of course. 



The nest is usually placed in an upright fork or saddled upon a 

 horizontal branch and supported by lateral twigs. It is well 

 concealed by foliage. The author has found on two occasions 



