160 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



height does not exceed 30 feet above the sea. Its central lagoon, 

 now unconnected with the ocean, covers about 100 acres. Not far 

 from this lagoon is a pond of fresh or slightly brackish water, which 

 is a favorite haunt of the Laysan teal and the bristle-thighed curlew. 



THE LAND BIRDS OF LAYSAN ISLAND. 



Though apparently not offering a very inviting permanent home 

 for land birds, a number of these and one duck, waifs from more 

 favored regions, have found their way here and become residents. 

 The duck, though a distinct species, is closely akin to the Hawaiian 

 teal, still more or less abundant in the archipelago proper. The 

 little island colony, once numbering upwards of 100 individuals, is 

 now nearly extinct, probably less than a dozen remaining. 



Another of the land birds is a curious little rail, smaller even than 

 our sora. None of the rail family are notable for wing power, but 

 this particular species, and others in the South Seas more or less like 

 it, is quite unable to fly. Where it originally came from is unknown. 

 It may have reached its present abode by flying from island to island 

 from Hawaii, where a related species is fairly common. As time 

 went on, finding no particular need for its wings, it ceased to use 

 them and became flightless. Whatever may be the ultimate fate of 

 the Laysan colony of this remarkable so-called "wingless" rail, its 

 future has been provided for in a measure by the export of a number 

 to the Midway Island, far to the west, where it is reported to be 

 flourishing, thus affording the only instance so far known of the 

 successful introduction of a member of this family. 



There is on Laysan a small red honey eater that lives chiefly on 

 the nectar of flowers, as do its near relatives on the larger islands of 

 the archipelago to the eastward ; also a member of the warbler family 

 of about the same size, originally probably from the Malay Archi- 

 pelago. It is called the miller bird because of its partiality for 

 millers or moths. Apparently this little warbler finds Laysan so 

 much to its liking that it declines to extend its range to the Hawaiian 

 Islands proper, which it might reach with very little effort. The list 

 of land birds is completed by the Laysan finch, which is the chief 

 musician of the island solitudes. During the long ages of its resi- 

 dence, unheard by human ear, it has trilled forth its beautiful song 

 to the accompanying murmur of the trade winds and the rhythmic 

 beat of the ocean surges on the desolate shore. Some years ago, when 

 unprotected, these finches were trapped in numbers and sold in Hono- 

 lulu for cage birds, but this traffic has now ceased. As suggested by 

 Mr. Bryan, the above-named insectivorous land birds possess a high 

 economic value and will well repay importation into the Hawaiian 

 Islands proper, thus increasing there the number of insect-eating 

 birds, as well as insuring the future existence of these unique and 

 interesting species. 



