580 Mr. R. C. L. Perkins — Introduction to 



in habits, few people who have not lived much in the woods 

 have any idea of their numbers. The common rat is also 

 quite at home in the forests and is decidedly arboreal 

 in habits, feeding on fruits, land-molluscs, and no doubt on 

 birds. The Mynah, which I have myself seen devouring 

 both youug and eggs of other species, has increased pro- 

 digiously, and probably exceeds in numbers the whole of the 

 native land -birds put together. It has greatly extended its 

 range through the forest since 1892, and on some of the 

 islands is now ul)iquitous. 



14. Songs of Drepanine Birds. 



None of the Drepanids can be considered first-class 

 songsters. The " Ou " [Psittacirostru) and the "Palila" 

 [Loxioides) are, when at their best, distinctly pleasing, and 

 surpass all the others. The ''Akialoas,^^ especially Hetero- 

 rhynchus, have a song full of vigour, yet not beautiful nor 

 sustained, but always delightful to hear, as being an expression 

 of the highest contentment. This energetic outpouring of 

 melody is noticeable likewise in Pseudonestor, Hemignathus, 

 and Chlorodrepanis, the songs of all of which, as also those 

 oi Loxops and Oreomyza (when it does sing), bear a general 

 similarity to one another. Pseudonestor and HeterorhyncJtus 

 have an identical song; that of Viridonia is the same as that 

 of Chlorodrepanis, with two or three notes added at the end. 

 Rhodacanthis whistles several notes, which to anyone walking 

 through the woods might appear to be rather the utterance 

 of a man than of a bird. The songs of the other group of 

 Drepanids are quite different. That of the " liwi '' ( Ves- 

 tiaria) is harsh in the extreme. The song of the " Apapane " 

 is short, monotonous, and often repeated, but not uupleasing. 

 It has a singularly plaintive call-note. The "Mamo'^ 

 (Drepanis) and the allied form on Molokai have an identical 

 cry, except that in the latter at its best it is probably much 

 louder. The song of Palmeria is peculiar, as it makes a 

 remarkable vibrating or gurgling sound. In spite of the 

 dissimilarity in the normal songs or cries of the birds of this 

 section, most oi: the different forms frequently utter calls or 

 notes very similar to one another. They are more varied than 



