22 HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



They fall naturally into a few groups of related species, and so 

 different are they from the birds of other lands that their relation- 

 ships are traceable only with great difficulty. Nor can all the 

 questions involved in the problem be considered settled. 



Much valuable light has been thrown upon the subject by Dr. 

 Gadow, who has studied the anatomy of many of the species with 

 interesting and valuable results. These are set forth at length in 

 an Appendix to Wilson's Birds of the Hawaiian Islands, to which 

 the reader is referred. 



Dr. Gadow's general conclusions may be summed up as fol- 

 lows : The bulk of the birds that are distinctively Hawaiian be- 

 long to a family to be called the Drepanididce, which, with little 

 doubt, are of American origin. They appear to be nearest related 

 tq the present American family of the Caerebidce. The Drepani- 

 didce were probably the first avian inhabitants of the islands, and 

 have been here a very long time, as is evidenced by the remark- 

 able changes they have undergone and by the numerous related 

 species they have differentiated into. 



Later a second infusion of avian stocks occurred, this time 

 from the continent of Australia, of which the elepaio and the 

 several species of o-o are living examples, and the Chaetoptila 

 an extinct one. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OF HAWAIIAN NATIVES. 



The impression seems to be general that in olden times the 

 natives were extensively acquainted with Hawaiian birds, which 

 is true, and that even the present day natives are very well posted 

 on the subject; the latter is by no means the case. 



We may gain some idea of the extent of the bird lore of the 

 natives by their methods of naming and classifying the birds. 

 Wherever it was possible the native name for a bird is imitative 

 of its note or cry, and the Hawaiians, aided no doubt by their 

 flexible, vocalic language, appear to have been very skillful in 

 coining these imitative names. Elepaio, io, uuau, aukuu and 

 many other bird names might be cited as evidence of this inita- 

 tive faculty. By means of the proper accent and pitch such words 

 may be made to give an almost exact idea of the bird's call. 



