HAWAIIAN BIBBS. 7 



curring on the islands. Sometimes the descriptions are brief, 

 but it is believed that in all cases they will suffice for the identi- 

 fication of the birds. Those who may desire fuller descriptions 

 are referred to the works of Rothschild and Wilson, or to the 

 Key to Hawaiian Birds recently issued by the Bishop Museum. 

 The descriptive material in the two former works has been 

 freely drawn upon' by the author in the case of many species not 

 contained in his own collection. In the case of American species 

 occurring in Hawaii, similar aid has been derived from Ridgway's 

 excellent "Manual of North American Birds." 



HAWAII AS AN ORNITHOLOGICAL FIELD. 



Owing chiefly to their isolation, there are few land areas in 

 the world possessed of greater interest for the ornithologist than 

 the Hawaiian Islands, and, until recently, there were few of 

 which the avian inhabitants were so little known. Of late years, 

 chiefly owing to the labors of English ornithologists, our knowl- 

 edge of Hawaiian birds has greatly increased. Many new 

 species have been discovered by Wilson, Palmer and Perkins, 

 and so thoroughly have the investigations of these naturalists 

 been conducted that we may feel sure that the number of 

 endemic land birds now known to inhabit the islands will never 

 be materially increased. 



The insular waters, however, have received comparatively 

 little attention, and it is probable that a few species of water- 

 birds remain to be added to the list, even if no new species are 

 discovered. 



There is no doubt, too, that the present list of Hawaiian birds 

 will be materially increased by additional records of American 

 species. There are certain birds, like the golden plover, turn- 

 stone, wandering tatler, bristle-thighed curlew and shoveller 

 duck, which annually winter in the islands, and the habit is of 

 long standing. As successive flocks of these birds leave the 

 American coast for Hawaii, a greater or less number of indi- 

 viduals belonging to species of kindred habits mingle with the 

 adventurous travelers, and by them are led to the unknown (to 

 them) tropic islands. Every season some of these strangers 



