jiirli = lore 



A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE 

 DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS 



Official Organ of the Audubon Societies 



Vol. Ill September — October, 1901 No. 5 



First Impressions of Hawaiian Birds 



BY H. W. HENSHAW 



{Concluded from page 12^) 



I HAVE dissected many of these Hawks, and in the stomach of only 

 one have I discovered the traces of birds. This individual had by some 

 means caught two Akakanis. Nearly all the specimens examined had 

 mice and small rats in the stomach. Large spiders, also, of an intro- 

 duced species, are fast becoming a popular food with lo. and I have 

 found the stomach of several individuals crammed with these insects. 



Whether in former times the natives entertained a superstitious regard 

 for lo I do not know. It may well have been so, for today lo has 

 not the slightest fear of man. He will sit upon a limb and dodge 

 stone after stone with apparent unconcern, lazily flapping to another 

 perch if the missiles come too close for comfort. As a result of his 

 confiding disposition, poor lo is fast becoming rare, where formerly he 

 used to be common. Under the mistaken impression that he means 

 mischief to the chickens, lo is shot whenever seen. It would be 

 unsafe to say that lo never molests poultry, but much inquiry among 

 farmers and much observation of the habits of this Hawk justify me 

 in stating that the damage to poultry from Io"s claws is exceedingly 

 small. If it ever kills poultry, as doubtless it occasionally does, the 

 damage is compensated a hundred times over in the immense numbers 

 of mice and rats destroyed. It will be greatly for Hawaii's interest if 

 this Hawk is carefully protected. 



I have purposely left to the last the bird which I consider to be the 

 most interesting of all Hawaiian birds, as it is the most numerous and 

 most widely spread. This is Elepaio, a Flycatcher by birth and lineage, a 

 Wren, Creeper and Flycatcher by habit and education. 



Most Hawaiian birds live in the deep forest or frequent the high trees. 

 Thus the bird -lover who would make their acquaintance must pay a price. 



