74 Director' s Annual Report. 



as well as the leaves, of the Scsevola, were always carefully in- 

 spected by them. 



The uests of this species, of which three fine specimens were 

 colledled, are so similar inter se as to be easily distinguished from 

 nests of the other species on the island. Still they differ consider- 

 ably, especially in the materials used, from others of the same genus 

 now in the Museum collection. The most definitely identified, and 

 best constru(5led nest (Mus. No. 4696) is one taken May 27, about 

 half way down the Pelekunu pali. It W'as built in a stunted Ohia 

 tree beside the trail and was poorly, if at all, concealed. It was 

 placed on a horizontal limb fifteen feet from the ground, which 

 brought it on a level with the path on the crest of the ridge. Its 

 external dimensions are 5.00 inches across by 2.25 inches in depth. 

 The bowl is 2.25 inches across by 1.25 inches in depth. Exter- 

 nally-, the structure is loosely woven from green moss. Into this 

 as a secondary lining, is worked some brown fibrous material of 

 the color of pulu but resembling closely the soft inner bark of the 

 (3hia. The lining proper is a generous one, composed entirely of 

 the fibre of the dead leaves of the leie. The nest is a well woven 

 compact strucfture. When first taken it was strongly scented by 

 the peculiar drepanine odor, a trace of which still clings to it. 

 Though no eggs were in the nest the parent bird was on when it 

 was discovered. 



A second nest, taken at Halawa May 24, is a sort of conces- 

 sion to civilization, being placed in the upright fork of a I^antana 

 bush that was growing among the Ohia trees, a considerable dis- 

 tance into the forest. It is substantially the same as the one just 

 described though not of as high order of workmanship. 



Oreomystis flammea ( Wilson ) . 



Of this species an excellent select series was colle(5led which 

 shows the various stages through which the birds of both sexes go 

 before attaining their adult plumage. In the field the flame-red 

 males are in a decided minority, occurring in the ratio of about 

 one in nine. But in my series of study specimens, they are in the 

 ratio of one to three. This is owing to the tendency in the field 

 to take the bright colored bird, and not (as might erroneously be 

 concluded) because they are easier to obtain than the females or 



[164I 



