Vol. XXn Yisn^K, Birds of Laysan Island. 3^3 



never tell just how he will be received by the next Rail. Often 

 they scurry away as if pursued by a bete noir, but an insect will 

 stop them in their mad career, and, having promptly disposed of 

 this interruption, they seem to forget their former fright and 

 walk about stretching their necks in a highly inquisitive manner. 

 It is evident that they are incapable of pursuing any train of 

 thought for more than an instant. Their ideas seem to flash by 

 in kaleidoscopic succession, and within a minute they make as 

 many false starts as a monkey. One can scarcely imagine more 

 foolish and amusing little birds than these. 



Porzanu/a palmeri is a very distinct form, and whence the 

 original colonists came is rather difificult to conjecture. Just why 

 these first birds never left the island, as the Golden Plovers do 

 now, is also hard to say ; unless, driven by strong winds they were 

 so completely worn out and lost that they never dared to abandon 

 the welcome land. The fact remains that they did not leave, and 

 we now find a bird resembling Porzana in most respects, but with 

 wings wofuUy useless and short. The Porzana type of coloring 

 is present in a much lighter and bleached form. 



The Rails are everywhere on the island in great numbers. 

 There is scarcely a bunch of grass but harbors a pair. They 

 probably have no serious enemies, so that the only check to their 

 increase is space and food supply. It is possible Man-o'-war Birds 

 may pick one up now and then, especially the chicks, but I saw 

 nothing to substantiate this. Yet the Rails like to slink about in 

 the shade of grass tussocks or bushes, much in the same way that 

 a chipmunk seeks the shadow of a log in preference to crossing 

 a bright sunny space. This trait suggested the idea that they 

 might have winged enemies. However if necessity or even incli- 

 nation calls, the Crakes show no aversion to coming out into the 

 sunshine, especially for food, so that perhaps it is the hot sun 

 which causes them to retire to cooler by-ways. 



They spend a large part of their time creeping, mouse-like, in 

 and out of nooks and crannies, as if trying to satisfy their genius 

 for exploration. Old petrel burrows fallen in, low-bending bushes 

 and grass tufts are searched with care and precision in this unend- 

 ing quest. As they walk their heads are thrust forward from side 

 to side, the very pictures of inquisitive interest. They used some- 



