REPORT OF AN EXPEDITION TO LAYSAN ISLAND IN 1911 UN- 

 DER THE JOINT AUSPICES OF THE UNITED STATES DEPART- 

 MENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. 



PART I. 



REPORT ON CONDITIONS ON THE HAWAIIAN BIRD RESERVA- 

 TION WITH LIST OF THE BIRDS FOUND ON LAYSAN. 



By HOMER R. DILL, 

 Professor of Zoology in the State University of Iowa. 



INTRODUCTION. 

 PURPOSE AND MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION. 



On February 3, 1909, President Roosevelt issued an Executive 

 order to the effect that the islets and reefs, namely: "Cure Island, 

 Pearl and Hermes Reef, Lysianski or Pell Island, Laysan Island, 

 Mary Reef, Dowsetts Reef, Gardiner Island, Two Brothers Reef, 

 French Frigate Shoal, Necker Island, Frost Shoal, and Bird Island, 

 situated in the Pacific Ocean at and near the extreme western exten- 

 sion of the Hawaiian Archipelago, * * * are hereby reserved 

 and set apart * * * as a preserve and breeding ground for 

 native birds. * * * This reservation to be known as the Hawaiian 

 Islands Reservation." 



The purpose of the reservation was to insure for all time a refuge 

 and breeding place for the numerous species of birds, chiefly sea fowl, 

 that for ages past had made the islands their home during the whole 

 or a part of each year. In the spring of 1909, however, a party of 

 foreign plumage hunters landed on Laysan, the principal bird 

 rookery of the reservation, and for several months made the slaughter 

 of sea birds a business. Had they not been interrupted, they would 

 probably have exterminated the entire colony of birds on this island 

 and perhaps on others of the group. As it was, many thousands of 

 sea birds were destroyed, especially albatrosses. There is, however, 

 no reason to doubt that, if left to themselves as much as possible and 

 if further depredations can be prevented, the birds will in time 

 repair this loss and continue to live as they have for thousands of 

 years before civilized man intruded on their beautiful avian world. 



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