The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-11-13

LlCuldIlg bdNdSG anu CluCl oopCSN
when seen at close quarters on their
nests. The males have large dis
tensible air sack hanging under their
necks. These pouches are about the
size and color of the brilliant red toy
balloons that delighted our childhood.
Their nests are on the tops of low,
wiry bushes, and both sexes aid in
fncubations. :,
Again piercing shrieks arise as we
invade the rookery of the tropic
birds, the most exquisitely beautiful
of all the bird inhabitants of Lay |
san. These are large birds, with
plumage with a distinct gloss, re-
minding one of white satin, black
wings and tail, and the two central
tail feathers heightened to about two
! feet, cry narrow and coral red in
color; making an exceedingly grace
! full and conspicuous ornament when
the bird is on the wing. The heavy
sharp bill is also bright red in color.
But space is lacking for a descrip-
ton of many other scenes equally
interesting and astonishing. We may
not stop to describe the many thou
sands of gannets, snow white, with
brilliant violet and other colors about
the face and bill; nor the shearwa-
tiers that are there by the hundreds
of thousands, and fairly riddle the
entire island with their borrowings
for their subterranean nests, and
make night hideous with their moan
ings; nor the few strange land birds,
found nowhere else in the world, such
as Laysan finch of saffron yellow, the
crimson Laysan honey eater, the
modest miller bird, and the rare wing
less rail skulking among the grass
and feeding on the terms eggs.
But any description of che scene
would be inexcusably defective were
we to omit mention of the weird col
or effects produced by the combina-
ton of the snow white coral sand,
the dark green vegetation, and the in
tense blue Of the trOpic sky, often
notified with purple clouds; while
embracing all is the laundering surf
of intense green, white crested waves
near the shore, and, further out, the
wonderful deep blue of the Pacific
Try as we may, this scene can not
be described, and as day after day
the wonder of it grew and deepened,
the writer found constantly recurring
and intensifying the great desire to
have it reproduced as a masterpiece
of art for the benefit of the State
University and the people of lowe
And then the "Laysan Island scheme
had its birth.
In the American Museum of Natu
raj History at New York is an exqui-
sitely artistic case in which is rep
resented shore scene On our Allan.
tic coast. The background Is mas
terpiece in the way of painting rep
resenting a bit or coast stretching
from a sandy beach back over the
marshes 10 the horizon, above which
Is a tender summer sky flecked
with fleecy clouds. In the foreground
are a number of mounted terms
swimmers, and other water birds with
their nests and young, a true home
picture of avian life. Some of the
birds are represented as along the
shore, being suspended by invisible
platinum wires.
The whole effect is simply charm
ing, the art with which the actua
birds are imperceptibly replaced b!
those painted in the background il
admirable. Here we have a correc
scientific representation of thes
birds at home, combined with an ex
= preston of artistic values that i
wonderfully satisfying.
4 To any one who has seen a reall
I good cyclorama, such as that of tn
Battle of Gettysburg" where tn
observer gazes upon hundreds O
thousands of men and miles of space
veritable miracle of vast number
in intense action, the actual figure
e. in the foreground so skillfully joine
IS to the painted background as to de
ceive the very elect, the "Laysan Is
q and" scheme will make an immediat
e. appeal.
"a The plan is, briefly, to construc
III in our new museum a cyclorama @
IS Laysan Island. The writer has col
IL suited the most experienced museur
men and taxidermists in America
ie and they are, without exception nc
ID only pleased, but highly enthusiast
u tic over the idea. DR.. VIM. T. Hol
e. naday, Director of the Bronx Par
IL Geological Garden said: IF I wer
Re younger man l would do this thin
IN myself" Mr. Carl Akeley, of tn
Field Columbian Museum, and prol
IL ably the best taxidermist in th
he world, said. ''It is the only panori
OF mic scheme that I have ever hear
OF of that meets my hearty approval
O. Other schemes huddle together a lC
e. of birds or other animals that neve
IL would be found together in nature
es but at Laysan the birds are actual
massed so that hundreds of thousand
u would really be in view from a singl
n standpoint. Your plan, If success
III fully carried out, would be a beaut
KS full piece of art, unequalled in it's wa
m in the world. 1t would be the bigges
e, sort of an advertisement for your un
ny versity excursions would be plar
IN ned to visit Iowa City to see it, an
it would be worthy of featuring +
ly our leading magazines"
in 1t was with the Laysan idea 1
ge view that room was reserved for thi