Sandwich-Island Birds. 175 



takes, moreover, a high polish and is beautifully grained ; 

 indeed, in the opinion of experts its superiority over 

 mahogany is undeniable, and I must say that some cabinets 

 made of koa in the possession of the King are of extreme 

 beauty. This fine forest-tree has a smooth trunk and large 

 acacia-like leaves, which, in colour, resemble those of the 

 Eucalyptus, but in certain lights possess a peculiar lustre of 

 their own. It has an inconspicuous flower, but its bean is 

 large, being some eight inches in length; still neither its flower 

 nor fruit are any attraction to birds, and it is for the insect- 

 life alone, found among its branches and among the mosses 

 which deck them, that several species of birds frequent its 

 feathery groves. 



The next tree in point of size to the two already considered 

 is the kukui or candle-nut (Aleurites triloba), a widely- 

 distributed Polynesian species, but in the Hawaiian Archi- 

 pelago only found in large tracts on the island of Kauai, 

 although it is met with on all the other islands. The only 

 birds I have ever observed to frequent its groves are the 

 several species of Chasiempis, and occasionally Psittirostra 

 psitlacea. The kukui, though not much frequented by 

 birds, deserves a word of mention, as the swelling park-like 

 country of large districts on the island of Kauai owes much 

 of its beauty to the stately clumps of this handsome tree. 

 The delicately-indented foliage of the kukui has, like that 

 of the koa, a lovely silvery appearance in certain lights, and 

 its compact tree- like foliage and gracefully-shaped leaves 

 earn for it the] palm of beauty amongst Sandwich-Island 

 trees. I may mention incidentally that its ribbed nuts are 

 largely used in the manufacture of native jewellery, and also 

 that the same nuts pounded are considered to be a great aid 

 to digestion. 



Besides these three, the undergrowth of a Sandwich-Island 

 forest is chiefly composed of the following, their frequency of 

 occurrence being indicated by the order in which their names 

 are given :— The alii (Dodoncea viscosa), the aaka or neia 

 (Myoporum santalinum), the iliahi or sandalwood (San- 

 talum album), which is very local, the mamane (Sophora 



