no. 3640 HAWAIIAN BIRDS — CLAPP AND WOODWARD 5 



crecca) may have been either of North American or Asiatic derivation 

 since specimen material was inadequate for subspecific determination. 



Judging from their moderate to very heavy fat deposits, some of 

 these ducks were strong and healthy — two common teal and a Euro- 

 pean widgeon. Most of the ducks, however, had little or no fat, were 

 emaciated, or were found as beach-worn remains. This suggests that 

 a majority of ducks reaching the islands fail to survive the winter. 

 Tufted ducks, in particular, fared very badly. Only two of the eight 

 specimens obtained were strong enough to fly. Three of the others 

 were so weak that they were captured by hand and the remaining 

 three were found dead. 



Records of wandering and migrant shorebirds are comprised, in 

 part, of species that, although on the "Hawaiian Check List" (Bryan, 

 1958) or its supplement (Udvardy, 1961b), are not verified by Hawaiian 

 specimen records — greater yellowlegs (Totanus melanoleucus) , lesser 

 yellowlegs (Totanus flavipes) , knot (Calidris canutus), and long-billed 

 dowitcker (Limnodromus scolopaceus). Other shorebird records are of 

 species previously unreported in the Hawaiian and Leeward Islands — 

 dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) , pintail snipe (Capella stenura), Poly- 

 nesian tattler (Heteroscelus brevipes), short-billed dowitcher (Lim- 

 nodromus griseus), marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa) , ruff (Philomachus 

 pugnax), and one species whose basis for inclusion in the Hawaiian 

 fauna (AOLT, 1957) we have not been able to discover: wood sand- 

 piper (Tringa glareola). Five of these seven species breed primarily in 

 the Old World. Since many of the sight records of shorebird species 

 reported from the main Hawaiian Islands by Bryan and Udvardy 

 and in the recent issues of "Elepaio," are North American species 

 that may be confused easily with Old World species (e.g., Charadrius 

 semipalmatus with C. hiaticula, Erolia minutilla with E. temmincki, 

 "common snipe" with several Old World Capella species), it is im- 

 portant that such records be substantiated by specimens. 



Gulls, particularly immatures, are frequent wanderers to the 

 Hawaiian and Leeward Islands. Of the seven species of gulls collected 

 in the Hawaiian Leeward Islands by the POBSP, only one, the slaty- 

 backed gull (Larus schistisagus) , is previously unknown from the 

 area. In this group of birds, as in the shorebirds and ducks, both Old 

 and New World species are present. Two species, Franklin's gull (L. 

 pipixcan) and ring-billed gull (L. delawarensis) , are North American; 

 two forms, herring gull (L. argentatus vegae) and slaty-backed gull 

 (L. schistisagus), are Palearctic; and three, glaucous-winged gull (L. 

 glaucescens) , glaucous gull (L. hyperboreus) , and black-legged kitti- 

 wake (Eissa tridactyla), are Holarctic. 



Twelve of the 39 gull specimens were found dead, either recently 

 dead or as partial remains, indicating that many (if not most) of the 



