E AW All AN BIRDS.. 79 



erect a heiau and kapu the same before the King had his temple 

 kapued, that man should p'ay the penalty of death. Kapoi was 

 thereupon seized, by the King's orders, arid led to the heiau of 

 Kupalaha, at Waikiki. 



That same day, the owl that had told Kapoi to erect a temple 

 gathered all the owls from Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii to 

 one place at Kalapueo.^ All those from the Koolau districts were 

 assembled at Kanoniakapueo,^ and those from Kauai and Niihau 

 at Pueohulunui.® 



It was decided by the King that Kapoi should be put to death Qn 

 the day of Kane.* When that day came, at daybreak, the owls left 

 their places of rendezvous and covered the whole sky over Hono- 

 lulu, and as the King's servants seized Kapoi to put him to death 

 the owls flew at them, pecking with their beaks and scratching 

 them with their claws. Then and there the battle was fought 

 between Kakuihewa's people and the owls. At last the owls 

 conquered and Kapoi was released, the King acknowledging that 

 his Akna (God) was a powerful one. From that time the owl has 

 been recognized as one of the many deities venerated by the Ha- 

 waiian people." 



The recent examination of a large amount of material in the 

 way of skins from the islands and from abroad has led Rothschild 

 to consider the island bird as a distinct form, distinguishable 

 chiefly by its smaller size. Six specimens of my own collecting 

 confirm his measurements. 



According to Andrew's Dictionary there was a special form of 

 snare designed for catching the owl, called pehe or peheapueo, 

 "snare for catching owls." It is possible that owl's feathers were 

 employed for decorative purposes, but it is more probable that the 

 feathers taken from the captured owls were used to decorate the 

 owl idols, or employed as offerings to propitiate the owl god's 

 favor. Nor is it improbable that owls were kept captive in the 

 heiaus or temples. 



The pueo was formerly very numerous in the lowlands of all 

 the islands, but the extension of the canefields has materially 



1 Situate beyond Diamond Head. 2In Nuuanu Valley. SNear Moanalua. 

 •I When the moon is 27 days old. 



