# 
Through all thoso yours Lay sun. had boon, lltorally oovorcd by 
myriad aea-birds, but Its bird life was not confined to these alone* aa 
the grass shrubbery that olothed the island harbored five species of 
land birds restricted to the narrow land expanse of this island (less 
than two square miles) and icnown in a native state nowhere else in the 
world. These inoluded a tiny flightless rail, a speoles of duels, a 
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warbler {family Sylvlidae) icnown as the l&ller-blrd and two species of a 
peculiar Hawaiian family (Drepanidae), one as large as a sparrow with 
strong robust bill Icnown as the Laysan f inoh or "oanary'V and the other 
smaller with slender bealc called from its ooloration the ’•red-bird.” 
Laysan in addition is the metropolis of the Laysan albatross, 
a beautiful bird as large as a goose, with snowy breast, blaolc wings, 
0 
and delicately tinted bill. With it is found the sooty albatross, of 
equal size, but sober sooty gray plumage, the "gooney” familiar to 
tourist8 on trans-Paoif ic steamers# 
For a part of each year these albatross frequent tbs high seas# 
true sea-farers who see no land even during periods of storm# Abcut the 
first of Hovember a part of them* those that are adult and tool the sexual 
urge# resort to remote# uninhabited islands where they gather in colonies 
as have their ancestors for thousands of generations for the purpose of 
rearing young# On Laysan their return eaoh year was an event in the 
life of the guano workers# heralded with as much excitoment as the arrival 
of some famous traveler in settled communities# 1he first to oome were 
joined by others until in a comparatively few days the usual horde had 
gathered and mating and choice of nest sites was under way# iSarly 
