42 Director's Anmial Report. 



the immature yellowish under mandible with only the under part 

 at tip dark. Length, 5.50; wing, 2.56; tail, 2.25; tarsus, .87; 

 mid-toe and claw, .56 ; testes, minute. 



The approach to maturity in these birds, as shown by our 

 large series, is as follows: First, the ear-coverts become dusky; 

 next, the under mandible becomes black with only a narrow line of 

 yellowish along the cutting edge. At this period the buff}- 

 white of the mid-breast has changed to pure white, and a 

 buffy white patch about one and one-half the length of the culmen 

 appears under the chin. The dusk}^ area about the ear-coverts 

 has increased in size so they extend from a line with the pupil 

 of the eye to half-way down the neck. Fleckiugs of dusky ap- 

 pear in the rufous on each side of under neck. The tips of the 

 greater and middle wing-coverts .show white in the centre sur- 

 rounded with the bright rufous. Buffy white appears on the lores, 

 the coloring on the head becomes less ochraceous. Thus the 

 changes go on until we have the well known adult plumage, with 

 the pure white tail-coverts ; white tips to the wing-coverts ; black 

 on throat, preceded by the restridted white area about as long as 

 the culmen. The pattern of this white patch varies in each indi- 

 vidual, but in fully mature specimens a narrow band of white 

 extends entirely around the forehead at the base of the upper man- 

 dible, widening out over the lores — which are entirely white, but 

 with black bases to the feathers — and joins broadly with the white 

 of the throat. At the ba.se of the lower mandible is a small patch 

 of black ; on the lower neck the white gradually disappears as tips 

 to the feathers of the neck and fore breast ; the mantle is brownish 

 with rufous cast and has indistinct white tips to the feathers of the 

 lower part. Our series shows no difference between the male and 

 female. Confined to Oahu island. Length, 5.50; wing spread, 

 7.75; wing, 2.51; tail, 2.18; tarsus, .83; culmen, .54; mid-toe 

 and claw, .56. 



Vestiaria coccinea, Forster. liwi. 



This beautiful bird, once so common on the island, is now very 

 scarce. During the entire four months I have been colle(5ting only 

 two have been secured. Another has recently been presented to 

 the Museum through the courtesy of Dr. Huddy of Honolulu. 

 However, these birds are probably more abundant in the Waianae 

 mountains, which I have not been able to explore because of the 



