112 HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



Saint Louis College, Honolulu. This specimen was obtained on 

 the island of Maui by Brother Matthias. The bird is one of the 

 commonest of the continental ducks. 



Description. — Adult. Head and upper neck metallic green glossed with 

 purple on the crown; hack and upper parts hlack; a white patch from 

 behind the eye across the occiput; lower neck, under parts, secondaries 

 and scapulars white. Female duller. Length about 12.50 inches. 



FREGATID^. MAN-O'-WAR BIRD FAMILY. 



Fregata aquila (Linn.). Iwa. Man-o'-War bird. 



Apparently the iwa does not breed upon the Hawaiian group 

 proper unless, perhaps, on Niihau., That it breeds in great num- 

 bers upon Laysan and the neighboring islands was ascertained by 

 Palmer. The iwa is not infrequently seen about Oahu and even 

 in Honolulu harbor. Knudsen obtained a single individual on 

 the coast of Kauai. I have never observed the bird upon the 

 windward side of Hawaii, nor has anyone else, so far as I can 

 ascertain. 



According to Rothschild the iwa breeds in rookeries of from 

 half a dozen to fifty, building their nests on the scrub, and laying 

 one white egg. 



The iwa lives chiefly upon fish which they catch themselves, 

 when so unfortunate as to be unable to find any other sea-bird 

 which they can compel to disgorge its finny prey. They are 

 aggressive thieves under all circumstances, and will steal the 

 young of the gannet and other sea-birds in the very presence of 

 the parents. 



Description. — Adult male. Black all over with metallic gloss on scapu- 

 lars and interscapulars. Female dull black; breast and sides whitish. 

 Length about 40 inches. 



Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pall. Pelagic Cormorant. 



Mr. Rothschild records a single specimen of this cormorant 

 from the island of Laysan where taken by Professor Schauinsland 

 October 22, 1896. Late in November of 1900 two cormorants 

 made their appearance in Hilo bay and remained till into the 



