342 Bryan, Yellow Canary of Midway Island. [july 



were liberated on Eastern Island, as we believed it useless to try to 

 domesticate them here on account of the cats. They increased 

 rapidly over there and in January, 1910, we brought over a number 

 of them as well as a large cage full of "Wingless" birds (Prozanula 

 palmeri), but still having cats with us I fear a good many of this 

 importation was destroyed. In May another lot of Finches and 

 Wingless birds was taken over and both of these have increased 

 remarkably and have been found most useful in keeping vegetation 

 free from destructive caterpillers. 



"You are more familiar with the history of the Laysan birds 

 than I am and probably known how the Finch and Wingless bird 

 were introduced there. I have heard that Captain Walker's crew 

 brought Wingless birds from Laysan to Eastern Island in 1887. 

 But the canaries and Finches were established on this island as 

 herein related. They appear to be finding a good deal of food 

 amongst the vegetation which has recently been established over 

 the north end of the Island, but we still continue to keep the feed 

 boxes well filled with mixed bird seed, and to distribute dishes with 

 fresh water around the verandas. The yellow birds enjoy their 

 daily bath but the Laysan Finch does not bathe. 



"I shall be glad to furnish you with any further particulars 

 regarding the birds or their progress at any time. 

 "Yours very truly, 



"D. Morrison, 

 " Superintendent, Midway." 



LTnder date of March 11th, Mr. Morrison again writes me from 

 Midway that he is exporting to New York on that date fourteen 

 young Canaries of this season's hatch, two of the 1911 hatch, 

 and the male of the original pair that was carried to Midway in 

 1909. The female bird of the parent stock is still retained on the 

 island. The young birds were all hatched in the open but the old 

 male bird had never been at liberty. 



W'ith these facts before us I venture to say that the future of 

 this colony of Yellow Canaries will be followed by those who are 

 interested in the introduction and naturalization of song and game 

 birds since it furnishes an excellent example of a species returning 

 to its natural wild habits in an unhospitable environment after 

 centuries of confinement and artificial breeding and feeding. 



