THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. oil 



favorite food in the old days, iiiiich resembliiii^' s(|iial) in Havoi'. jiikI were in-c- 

 ferred on the Hawaiian table over the Ironic bird, whose Hcsh liad ;i stroii"- 

 fishy flavor. These sj^ecies all la.\- but a siimlc didl-whilc i'ix<x. AVithonI doubt 

 all fonr of the cliff-nesting si)ecies mentioned above arc doomed to extinct ion 

 in the islands, owing to the inroads made ii])on lliem by the mongoose, which is 

 a serious menace to all ground-nesting birds. 



Perhaps the average person sees more birds from the deck of an island 

 steamer than in any other way. In fact, most of the more common day-flying, 

 sea-going species may be identified by a practised observer while crossing' the 

 channels between the islands. 



Terns. 



The small, graceful black bird with a silvery-gray crown, flying usually 

 in small flocks, is almost sure to l:!e the Hawaiian tern,^ although it is easily 

 confused with its cousin, the noddy tern,'^ from which it diffei's chietly in 

 being a trifle smaller and of a more slender build. 



Both species are active flshers, capturing their prey by flying close to 

 the surface of the ocean and swooping down upon any of the small, uinvai-y 

 species of fish that abound in the surface water five or ten miles off the coast. 

 Both of these graceful birds have much the same habits and disposition. The 

 writer has taken the nests and eggs of both species from crevices in steep sea- 

 cliffs as well as from the tops of low bushes growing on the flat sand islands of 

 the group. Both birds were formerly used to some extent as food. They wvrv 

 usually captured by the natives at night by the aid of torches. The light 

 served to bewilder the birds, causing them to fly, aimlessly al)out, wlien it was 

 an easy matter to knock them down with sticks and poles. 



Like many sea-birds, both species lay but a single egg, which tliey |)laee 

 on a small heap of sticks and seaweed that serves as a nest. The eggs are 



^ Micranous hawaiiensis. ^ Anous stnlidiis. 



Desckiptiox of Plate. 



1. View of birdlife on Laysan (opposite side of t\w yioup shown in fi^. 7). in tlu' 

 burrow, Bonin Petrel (zEstrelata hypoleiica) ; under the huslics a Kcd-tailed Tropic Bird 

 (Fliaetlion rabricauda) ; on the bushes two Noddy Terns {Aiiotis .stulidii.s) and an old ami 

 young Hawaiian Tern [Noio] (Micranous Juiwaiiensis) ; on the rock and bushes a Red-footed 

 Booby {Sida piscator) ; on the rocks two old and young Wliite Terns (Gi/f/is idha litl1i(:i) ; 

 on the sand one Christmas Island Shearwater {Pitfflinis iiatiritali.s). 2. Pair of Mau-o- 'war 

 Birds [Iwa] (Fregata aquila) on the nest showing the large red gular poiici: cm the nuile. 

 3. Group showing old, young, immature and egg of the Black-crowned Night Heron | Aukuu 

 kohili] (Nycticornx ni/cticoraj- turrius). 4. Black-footed Albatross (Dionicdca iil(iripcs). ."i. 

 Group of Hawaiian shore-birds; five Turnstones |Akcl<(>ke| (ArctKiria inlirpns) are shown 

 in the act of lighting; on the rock a Bristle-thighed I'urlew | KioeaJ { \ u m c ni uti tahiticnsix) ; 

 to the left Hawaiian Stilt [Kukuluaeo] {Rimantopus knudseni) ; by the water's edge Pacific 

 Golden Plover [Kolea] (Clun-adrius dominiriis fulvus); one just rising and one jireeniug 

 Wandering Tatler [UliJi] (Ilftcracfifis inraiius). (i. The Hawaiian Goose [ Xenel {S'rsochcn 

 sandricensi.s) . 7. ()])p()site side of fig. 1, Birds in lliy;ht Sooty Tern (Stcnui fiilininosii) ; 

 on the bushes Ked-footed Booby (Sida piscator) ; on the ground left Blue-faced Booby {Suhi 

 cyanops) ; on the ground in center Grey-backed Tern {Sterna liuiata) ; in tiie deeper hole 

 Bulwers Petrel (Bidiccria bidwrria hidtceri) ; in the slinllciw burrow Wcdgr-t.iilcil Slicarwater 

 (Priofinuji cuneatus) old and young. 



