some Hawaiian Birds. 119 



strength. All that I sliot contained larvse of these beetles, 

 as many as 20 or 30 being found in the stomach of a single 

 bird. No less than four species of Clytarlus were found on 

 the acacias in the actual hannts of Pseudonestor ; these too, 

 like the bird^ are all of species peculiar to the same island. 

 When alarmed the bird gave frequent utterance to a short 

 squeaking cry ; it has besides a decided song, which reminded 

 me much of that of the green Himatione. Once I heard it 

 sing on the wing, as it crossed a gulch*. 



The unpleasant scent of Pseudonestor, like that of many 

 Drepanididae and other Hawaiian Finches, is very noticeable. 



Looking at the Hawaiian Finches as a whole, it may be 

 noticed how wonderfully the structure of each of them has 

 been specially developed according to the nature of its own 

 particular and most important article of food. Thus, Pseudo- 

 nestor ^ as above mentioned, has an enormous development of 

 beak and skull and muscles attached thereto, for splitting 

 the koa twigs ; Chloridops has a huge beak and still heavier 

 skull and muscles, which enable it to crack the hard nuts 

 of the bastard sandal {Myoporum) ; then there is the 

 strong cutting-beak of Rhodacanthis for dividing up the koa 

 beans, and a large development of the abdominal portion 

 of the body, in accordance with the large fragments that it 

 swallows ; the shorter bill of Loxioides, which deftly cuts off 

 the bean of the mamane acacia (Sophora), while the bird 

 holding it in position with its foot opens the pod and 

 devours the seeds ; and, lastly, the hooked bill of Psittaci- 

 rostra, with which it digs out the separate components of the 

 fleshy inflorescence of the " ieie " {Freycinetia), for this is 

 certainly its natural food, though it has now come to feed 

 largely on various introduced fruits — guavas, oranges, and the 

 like. Besides their special foods, all the Finches vary their 

 diet at times with the larvae of Lepidoptera. 



Since my note on the habits of Heterorhynchus wilsoni, 



Rothschild, was written, 1 have had the opportunity of 



observing those of two other species, — H. ajfinis, Rothsch., on 



Maui, and H. hanapepe, Wilson, on Kauai. Both of them 



* See Ibis, 1893, p. 103. 



