72 Director s A)iuual Report. 



at — namely: that kalaana has been separated as a species on char- 

 acters that are of doubtful sub-specific value. Was it not for the 

 definite geographical factor which enters in for consideration, the 

 form would hardly have impressed the original describer as being 

 worthy of designation as a sub-species. 



The Amakihi is the second species in abundance on the island, 

 and was met with throughout the forested districts generally, often 

 coming well down to the coast line on the weather side of the 

 island, where conditions are favorable. The species is sociable by 

 nature, usualh^ feeding in small companies or at least, never 

 singly. Their call note is a fine clearly whistled "Tse-et." This 

 is usually given when for any reason an individual becomes de- 

 tached from the flock or separated b}^ any distance from its mate. 

 The call note, as with most all the mountain birds, is given more 

 frequently during foggy, cloudy weather, for obvious reasons. 

 The}- are sure to be found where sunny slopes covered with open 

 woods are interspersed with plenty of bushes and low shrubs. 

 In such situations, if food is abundant, they become fairly estab- 

 lished in their habits, often feeding over the same range a number 

 of times each da}-. Their song on such occasions is usually fre- 

 quent and identical, I believe, for both sexes. It consists simply 

 of a repetition of "Ts-chee-chee-chee-chee-chee-chee", trilled 

 without variation, in a surprisingl}- loud and penetrating voice, 

 which always impresses one as being forced and metallic in quality. 



Though generally favoring woods of the characfter described, 

 they are to be met with in all sorts of places. I have found them 

 — usuall}' in isolated pairs, it is true — in the darkest and wettest 

 parts of the forests, where flowers were almost wholly wanting. 

 In such places they were feeding on the limbs and leaves of the 

 trees high over head. At other times, they are plentiful on the 

 low bushes growing on the sharp, and more or less dr}' and barren 

 ridges. Or again, they will be met with on the outskirts of the 

 forest feeding on the flowers and leaves of whatever species of tree 

 or shrub was at hand, not even shunning the introduced species, 

 as Lantana and Guava, which crowd well into the edge of the for- 

 ests in some places. In their feeding, however, there is a prefer- 

 ence shown for the Ohia both in and out of flower. Lobelias, 

 especially the flowers, were seldom visited. But the white bloom, 



[162] 



