E AW All AN BIRDS. 125 



Description. — Adult. Sooty brown, grayer on neck and passing into 

 white on forehead; quills nearly black. Length 13.00-16.75. 



Anous hawaiiensis, Rothschild. Noio. 



This tern was well named hawaiiensis, for it may be regarded 

 as the Hawaiian tern. It is fotind in colonies all along the coast 

 of the island of Hawaii, wherever caves and ledges occur in the 

 face of the cliffs suitable for roosting places and for nesting sites. 

 It probably occurs, also, on all the other islands. The noio lives 

 wholly upon fish, to obtain which it habitually makes excursions 

 otY shore ten or fifteen miles. Indeed comparatively little of its 

 food is obtained in shore, though occasionally the birds may be 

 seen slowly winnowing their way along the surf-streaked coast, 

 and scanning the heaving billows with anxious eye for their 

 quarry. 



While following its prey on the broad ocean the noio is of 

 much service to the Hawaiian fishermen, and acts as his pilot ; 

 for its presence in numbers in a given spot marks the where- 

 abouts of shoals of noi, a long silvery minnow, and there also is 

 sure to be found the aku, or skipjack, much sought after by the 

 fishermen. 



This tern never dives for fish but with a quick stoop and a dip 

 of the head it seizes the unsuspecting minnow when close to the 

 surface. 



In the olden time I learn that the natives used to raid the nest- 

 ing sites of the noio pretty regularly for both eggs and young, 

 the latter especially beirig esteemed delicacies as indeed were the 

 yoimg of most sea-birds. For this purpose dark nights were 

 usually chosen and by means of torches and the help of clubs 

 the old birds, bewildered by the light, were easily secured. 



A few straws picked up from the surface of the sea — a mere 

 apology for a nest — serves to keep the one egg from rolling off 

 the ledge. The egg is very large for the size of the bird, and 

 the ground color is light buff spotted heavily with dark brown 

 arid purplish. 



Description.— Adult. Fofehead and top of head ashy white, gradually 

 merging into sooty black of back ; hind neck and upper part of back ashy 



