The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-06
HUNTING BIRDS
On MOLOKA|
Interesting Experiences OF a
Scientist With a
Gun.

venture in search of birds on Molo-
kai, parts of which have already been
published in these columns, is con-
tinued as follows:
A series of ten carefully selected
birds and three nests of the Iiwi ives
tlarla coccinea Forster) were secured,
which IN themselves form valuable
set. taken IN connection with the
Museum S long series they assume es-
peclal interest, making it possible in
another connection, to discuss intelli-
| gently from specimens in hand, some OF
the interesting problems connected with
the evolution and development of the
species.
Next to the Apapane and Amakihi,
the llwl is the species most commonly
met with on Molokai. They generally
| frequent the Ohia forests but occa-
slonally they will extend their range
down, IN certain seasons and under
favorable conditions, as in Wailau and
Pelekunu valleys, so as to reach the
seashore. They are strong flyers, often
| mounting high in the air. In small
loose HOcks they will thus fly from one
| valley to another. Their flight over the
| tallest forest trees can be heard and
easily distinguished, owing to the whir-
| ring NOISE OF their wings, which is sup
posed to be produced by the peculiar
| truncated form of the primaries. Other
| species OF the family, as the Himati0ne,
| having the same shaped primaries pro-
| duce similar though less marked whir-
ring sound.
On June 10, while collecting on Wal
lau pail, | saw a parent bird in the
| brilliant plumage of the adult, feeding
an immature young Mus. No. 1926.
! The young bird was sucking the nectar
| from the Ohia flowers when the parent
| bird lit beside it. At this the young
bird opened its beak to receive the food
brought by its parent. The old bird
flew away, only to return shortly to
repeat the feeding operation. During
the time intervening between the at
tentions Of the parent, both old and
young birds flew about and fed to-
gether. On examining the young bird S
crop, several green Topper worms were
found
Of the three well identified nests Sc
cured, the best specimen was one taken
on June 4 from fifteen feet up in a
kawau (Byronia) tree, growing on the
crest of the ridge well toward the top
of Pun Ohelo mountain. Although it
was unoccupied it had every appear
ance of having been used in rearing a
brood. Scarlet feathers from the
breast of the parent bird found in the
nest left no doubt of its identity. while
from the tree the nest was in ! shot
a very young Iiwi, that presumably had
but recently left the nest near by.
The nest (Mus. No. 5000 is mounted
on a horizontal fork, and externally is
$50 inches across by 2.75 inches deep.
The bowl is $50 inches in diameter by
80 deep. Externally the structure is
composed of the moss so common on the
trees in the higher attitudes. Into this
has been worked few sticks and some
fiber from the dead leaves of the Ieie
vine. The inner lining is made almost
entirely of the black hair-like fibers of
dead moss Generally speaking it is a
very neat and compact structure.
The second nest Mus No. 47O1) does
not differ much from the one just de-
scribed. In size it is a trife larger,
and was located in a terminal vertical
fork of an ohia tree. The material,
especially the moss, is coarser than in
the nest described.
The third nest Mus. No. 4700) was
not quite completed when collected on
MAY p from the thick forests at Ha-
lava Like the last, it was placed in
an ohia ten feet or more from the
ground. Wanting the lining, as it does,
it might be mistaken as the completed
nest of some other species, as the Ieie
fibers used in its construction make a
very creditable lining. But a close ex-
animation of the size, shape and ma
teral used, so far as completed, shows
it to be substantially the same as the
first described However, the moss is
of a different species and more liberal
use is made of small twigs in the foun-
dation, while as just said, Ieie leaf
fiber enters extensively into the see
ondary lining. Only few of the
blackish moss stem fbers mentioned
above, have been put in place, while
two or three small wisps of pull fiber
have been woven into the brim. The
eggs of the Iiwi are as yet undescrlbed
Palmeria dolei (Wilson).
I was unfortunate in not securing
this species, though five individuals
were seen in one flock at one time, and
three a. another, flying out over the
pail at the head of Pelekunu valley
1t was not seen or heard elsewhere. Mir
Munro, who Immediately preceded me
| in the same woods, did not see the
species at all during his month S wort
about Puualu Mountain. We therefore
| feel assured that though the bird Il
still to be had on Molokai, it IS by
no means as abundant as one might
conclude from reading Mr.. Perkins
account, published some years ago
where he records that he assembled ;
flock of no less than nine adult bird
= at the same time in one small ohl'
q tree
q Himatione sanguinea (Gmel).
The Apapane is the most abundan
d species on Molokai. A short series wa
! taken for comparison with the MI
: scum s material, which has been col
Z lected at the same season on the othe
islands of the group. The song am
,,aroroI ba HRS have already been full