yS Director s Annual Report. 



sufficient to say that sixteen skins of both sexes, adult and imma- 

 ture, were secured on Molokai during April, May and June. 



The Ou was met with at all the stations visited in the forest 

 area, in a ratio of about one to twenty, as compared with the Ama- 

 kihi. Hence it is not, relatively speaking, the abundant species 

 its size and song would seem to make it, especially when compared 

 with the much smaller and more obscurely colored Chlorodrepanis. 



The Halawa forest makes an ideal home for this leie-loving 

 bird, since that region, as has elsewhere been mentioned, is a per- 

 fect tangle of this vine. Along the streams patches of wild banana 

 are also common, while Olona ( Touchardia) , another food plant of 

 the species, is met with everywhere in suitable places. As leie 

 has apparently had much to do in the evolution of its peculiar beak, 

 the Ou commonly frequents the forests where it is most abundant. 

 It is, nevertheless, always to be found in the more dense Ohia for- 

 ests, even though the amount of leie is small, or wanting entirely. 

 In the heavily wooded localities, it feeds through the tops of the 

 trees, seldom coming near the ground. At such times there are 

 usually several birds in the locality scattered about in scout forma- 

 tion. They seem rarely to alight together in the same tree, yet 

 they always keep within easy call of each other. The inquiringly 

 whistled call note "Psweet" is frequently given, and answered by 

 birds thus deployed, especially during cloudy weather. If the call 

 is imitated the bird will readily respond a number of times in suc- 

 cession, often cautiously approaching the ob.se rver to satisfy its 

 curiosity. The young birds are much easier decoyed in this way 

 than are the more experienced adults. It is not uncommon to 

 have the green inconspicuously colored birds an.swer one from a 

 tree near at hand, several minutes before its whereabouts can be 

 determined. A number of times during drenching rains, I have 

 heard the call note plaintively given, and after protra(5ted search 

 have found the bird .standing motionless in a very deje(5ted attitude, 

 huddled close against a tree trunk, or stowed away in a thick 

 bunch of leaves for shelter. 



Of Its musical powers much has been written, as it has been 

 quite commonly given first place among the singing Drepanididae. 

 The song — which, by the way, it rarely gives in its entirety — is 

 especially sweet and pleasing, resembling in many respects that of 

 the canary. Perhaps the favorite place for delivering its song is 



[i68] 



