THE ANLMAL LIFE OF THE (iKoil'. 325 



The eiirlew is by iiu means abuiHlaiit uii the htr^e ishiiuls, Ijul on the hnv- 

 lyiiig islands to the northwest they are fairly common. The curlew are much 

 larger birds than the plover, and are sucli conspicuous objects when they do 

 visit the inhabited islands that the securing of a si)ecimen is always a re^d 

 event. This fine game bird is easily recognized, as it is the onl_\- siion- liird 

 that has a bill about three inches in length that is slightly cui-\c(| downward. 

 It derives its common name from the peculiar feathers of the thighs, which 

 terminate in long bristle-like points. H is of interest to know that this s{)ecies 

 visits the sea-coast of almost all of the hundreds of islands in the Pacific ocean 

 at all seasons, but curiously enough no one has ever found its nest and eggs on 

 any of them. 



The Hawaiian Stilt. 



A bird that is occasionally seen along the sea-coast or al)()nt the salt-water 

 marshes is the peculiar Hawaiian stilt.'' Its long neck, black ])aek, white 

 breast and unusualy long pink legs make it a conspicuous and interesting 

 object. Unlike any of the foregoing, it is a resident of the islands throughout 

 the year. Its ancestors, doubtless, long ago gave up the habit of making the 

 useless journey away over the ocean every summer to rear their young. The 

 Hawaiian stilt, therefore, is found nowhere else in the world. As it is rare 

 even in Hawaii it is an interesting bird, since it has doubtless come to dilfer 

 from its near relatives by reason of the fact that it has long been isolated from 

 others of its kind. 



Black-Crowned Night Heron. 



No one who visits the sea-shore at sundown or is abroad at sunrise will fail 

 to see the long-legged, black-crowned night heron." as it flies from its home in 

 the valleys to its fishing grounds on the tide-flats or along the niullet-|)ond 

 walls. While this heron lives throughout the yeai- in the islands, it has not 

 been long enough cut off from the rest of its relatives to ])ecome a distinct 

 species, as it is still impossible to distinguish it from s{)ecimens of the same 

 heron collected in America. 



They feed almost entirely on fish, the mullet being a favorite with them. 

 In certain localities they levy a considerable toll on the mullet jxmds in the 

 vicinity of their rookeries. They secure their food along the sea-shore, mostly 

 at night, and retire during the daytime to the thick woods in the mountain 

 valleys, where they nest in colonies. Their nests are bulky atVairs made of 

 sticks, and often are two feet in diameter. Sonu'times a dozen nests will be 

 found in a single tree. The eggs, which are ])ale blue in color. ai-e as lai-^e as 

 small hen eggs. 



The old birds, with their long necks and legs, are vei-y |>ictui'es(|ue .-is ihey 

 crouch in the treetops or wing their heav_\- flii^ht about the \alleys. The black- 

 back and black crown are in contrast with the tine bIuisli-L;ra\' color of the boilv 



^ Iliiiiaiifopii.s kiiiiil.it'}ii. ' \i/rtirorn.r Di/ctirorax titi'i'iiis. 



