THE PACIFIC OCEAN, i 13 



drawn from the hland of Owhyhee alone, and yet we could *p& 



' ' March* 



not perceive that it was at all drained, or even that the abun- 

 dance had any way decreafed. 



The birds of thefe iflands are as beautiful as any we have 

 feen during the voyage, and are numerous, though not va- 

 rious. There are four, which feem to belong to the trocb'itt, 

 or honey-fuckers of Linnaeus ; one of which is fomething 

 larger than a bullfinch ; its colour is a fine gloffy black, the 

 rump-vent and thighs a deep yellow. It is called by the na- 

 tives hoohoo. Another is of an exceeding bright fcarlet co- 

 lour ; the wings black, and edged with white ; and the tail 

 black ; its native name is eeeeve. A third, which feems to 

 be either a young bird, or a variety of the foregoing, is va- 

 riegated with red, brown, and yellow. The fourth is en- 

 tirely green, with a tinge of yellow, and is called aka'iearooa* 

 There is a fpecies of thrum, with a grey breaft ; and a fmall 

 bird of the flycatcher kind} a rail, with very fhort wings 

 and no tail, which, on that account, we named rallus ecau- 

 thtus. Ravens are found here, but they are very fcarce ; 

 their colour is dark brown, inclining to black ; and their 

 note is different from the European. Here are two fmall 

 birds, both of one genus, that are very common; one is 

 red, and generally feen about the cocoa-nut trees, particu- 

 larly when they are in flower, from whence it feems to de- 

 rive great part of its fubfiftence ; the other is green; 

 the tongues of both are long and ciliated, or fringed at 

 the tip. A bird with a yellow head, which, from the 

 ftructure of its beak, we called a parroquet, is likewifc 

 very common. It, however, by no means belongs to that 

 tribe, but greatly refembles the kxia favlcans, or yellowifli. 

 crofs-bill of Linnazus. 



Hers 



