The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-17

cont news dispatches from Honolulu
reported that the revenue cutter The
! us, which had been ordered 10 visit
Laysan and the other bird islands be-
longing to the Hawaiian group I'M
! order to investigate rumors that Jan.
anese were slauthering the birds
breeding on these islands. had return.
ed with % Japanese prisoners and
100000 pairs of wings, valued at S1OO,.
/ 600, which had been taken from the
birds killed by the japanese and seiz.
ed as evidence by the cutter officers.
These bird islands are among the
most remarkable I'm the world. The
Hawaiian islands proper number 70.
Eight Of these, Hawaii, Maui. Oahu.
Kauai Molokai, Lanai. Kahoolawo
and Nihau. are inhabited. while Molo.
KIM, Lehua, Kaula, and Nihoa are nm.
inhabited. In addition are q number
Of small islands and reefs. MANY of
the latter awash at high water. rum
ming nearly a thousand miles to the
northwestward, some of which are
famous as breeding places for birds
and are temporarily occupied by work
men Of the guano companies which
have their headquarters in Honolulu.
Americans have been gathering
guano from Laysan and few Of the
other islands for some years. Even
before annexation Japanese plume
hunters had been visiting the islands,
where they slaughtered thousands Of
the birds, shipping the wings and
feathers by way of Asiatic ports TO
Europe. This practice was forbidden
by the United States at the time Ha-
wall was annexed, but for several
years afterward a tugboat was the
only government vessel stationed at
the Islands and the poachers were un-
mOlested and became very venture
some.
Many Of the larger japanese sam
pans engaged in fishing for the Homo
lulu market are fitted with power en-
gines, and the fact that some of them
made mysterious trips, lasting a week
or two at time, aroused the govern.
ments suspicious. These were further
strengthened by reports that Japan
csc steamers were visiting the bird
islands and surreptitiously taking
away the plumber gathered by the
small boats.
In order to control the situation
the government a short time ago made
a bird reserve of Laysan and the other
bird island Of the gnoup. OF this
group Laysan, which is about eight
hundred miles from Honolulu, has
been called the most remarkable bird
island in the world. 1t is a small is
land, being three miles in length and
half a mile in breadth, is formed like
a shallow platter, and at its highest
point is not more than thirty feet
above the sea. In the center is a la
COON not connected with the sea.
At the time of the writer's first visit
to this island, in May, 1902, the nest
ing season was in full swing and there
were hundreds of thousands of birds
upon the island. Among these could
~ oS'H NiAS HlbaIiO9S' uulllDcl u
species Of tern, the noddy, putin, pet.
rel, tropic bird, man-o-War, teal, rail,
plover, curlew and a number of strictly
land birds
The most striking things to a visitor
are the great number Of birds, their
tameness and the deafening
noise they make. Whenever we wlshc
to converse it was necessary to shout.
Few Of the birds seemed frightened,
and with a little care we were able to
approach most Of the species as close.
ly as we wished In fact when the
camera tripod had been adjusted SIEVE.
raj Of the albatrOsses came up to It
and examined it attenuvely.
The various species are found more
Or less in colonies. The number Of
breeding birds is so prodiglous that
favorable space is at a premium, and
several species live one above the
ether, some burrowing below the sur
face, others breeding On the surface, I
while still others have their nests at J
varying heights on the shrubs. AS
one member of the party put it, 1T
ooks like big apartment house"
Space being SO limited, the birds J
which have chosen Laysan for their
breeding home would not be able to I
Ind satisfactory places if they all ar t