5G4 Mr. R. C. L. Perkins — Introduction to 



species which produced the present family is highly impro- 

 bahle, seeing that whole families of birds far better adapted 

 to cross wide extents of ocean are quite unrepresented in the 

 Hawaiian Islands, although we know that some of them 

 thrive exceedingly when imported, and many others would 

 no doubt do so under similar circumstances. 



Whence the ancestors of the present Drepanine birds came 

 is, owing to their dubious relationships with outside forms, 

 still an open question ; though if it were certain that their 

 closest relationship was, as Dr. Gadow has suggested, with the 

 Coerebidse, little doubt would remain as to their American 

 origin. For the present it is safer to consider them, with 

 other peculiarly Hawaiian groups, as being of unknown origin. 



3. Tivo Groups of Hawaiian Drepanine birds exist, indi- 

 cating either two distinct original immigrants or, more 

 jirobahly, very early divergence from one ancestor in two 

 directions. 



1 have already stated that a dual origin for the present 

 Drepanines is conceivable, and is indicated by the fact that 

 they fall clearly into two groups. The first of these contains six 

 genera, viz. Drepanis, Drej)anorhamphus , Vestiaria, Himatione, 

 Palmeria, and Ciridops ; the second the remaining twelve. 



The genera of the first group are characterized by the 

 truncate apices of the primaries, except in the anomalous 

 Palmeria, and by the plumage of the young, which is always 

 partly black or of a dull colour. In the adults white mark- 

 ings are present either on the wings or on the upper parts of 

 the body. The skin, moreover, is comparatively thick, and 

 sometimes extremely tough and thick, as cannot fail to be 

 noticed by the collector when using very small charges of 

 powder and shot to procure specimens. The plumage of the 

 sexes is identical or nearly so. Red colours are acquired by 

 the adults of some species in both sections, but in a totally 

 diff"erent manner; in the second group it is invariably through 

 a green or olivaceous stage, while green-plumaged forms are 

 never found in the young of the first group. In addition it 

 may be noted that the songs and cries of the members of the 



