Notes 071 the Hawaiian Rat. 13 



This specimen and the rat bones above mentioned were for- 

 warded to Dr. Stone, but crossed his MS. in the mails. 



In the eastern dune series, on the site of the old battle field 

 of Kakanilua, two miles from Halekii, half a mandible and two leg 

 bones of what may reasonably be referred to the native rat, were 

 later picked from the surface of the sand. 



The presence of the living rats on Popoia (reported to Dr. 

 Stone) suggested a search on other islets. There is a small mush- 

 room-shaped islet called Kekepa on the coral reef at the eastern 

 entrance to Kaneohe Bay (see map, Plate X). Its area is about 

 an acre, and the highest point of its surface is fifteen to eighteen 

 feet above mean tide. On account of its situation a landing can 

 only be made on the narrow wave-washed shelf encircling its base, 

 at low tide and in calm weather. The writer visited Kekepa in 

 1915. It was of raised coral reef formation ; its surface was honey- 

 combed, and the same species of petrels were nesting as at Popoia. 

 Vegetation was confined to shore plants ; there were no shrubs or 

 trees. Though the writer, when starting, prepared himself with 

 traps, he could not use them since the boatman, on reaching 

 Kekepa, limited the stay to fifteen minutes on account of the rising 

 sea. Enough was seen of conditions at Kekepa, however, to sug- 

 gest the probability of the rat being present. 



Another reason for the visit was curiosity aroused by the 

 account of a young native boy that his parents had seen on the 

 islet a small brown bird of the size of the imported mina (Acrido- 

 theres tristis) which jumped instead of flying. The parents were 

 absent, and the information above was furnished in reply to a 

 casual enquiry of what was to be seen on Kekepa, which was in 

 sight in the distance. Of course, the description of the bird would 

 fit one of the extinct Hawaiian rails (Pennula sp.) better than any 

 other known Hawaiian birds, and considering the honey-combed 

 condition of the surface of Kekepa, the writer would not care to 

 state that the rail was not on the islet. 



On the volcanic island of Mokulua North a fairly thorough 

 search was made among the rocks near the sea, and in likely places 

 a little further back, without finding indications of rats. A less 

 thorough search at Mokulua South gave no better results. These 

 islands are high and were probably formed independently from 

 Oahu. [263] 



