the Study of the Drepanididae. 585 



another. Male at least with the plumage 

 of the head contrastiug in colour with 

 that of the upper parts of the body. 



22 (23). Beak with cutting-edge of lower mandible 



distinctly and evenly curved on the apical 

 part. Immature birds without dark spots 

 above. (Very great differences in colour 

 between the sexes when adult, the female 

 remaining much like the young of either 

 sex.) Rhodncantlds. 



23 (22). Beak with cutting-edge of lower mandible 



not distinctly and evenly curved. Imma- 

 ture birds with dark spots Telespizn. 



24 (21). Upper mandible in dorsal aspect with the 



sides not very strongly convergent to 

 the apex, so as to form a very elongate 

 triangle. Cutting-edges of mandibles ir- 

 regular, so that they are not perfectly 

 adapted to one another Plumage of 

 head in neither sex conspicuou.sIy dif- 

 ferent to that of the body above. (No 

 marked difference in colour of sexes.) . . Chloridops. 



The list of genera given above calls for a few remarks. 

 In the first division the position of the abnormal Ciridops 

 appears to me quite certain. Its characteristic black wings 

 and tail, and the presence of white (not quite clear white) 

 feathers, its scarlet plumage, to my mind so extremely like 

 that of Vestiaria, and the blackish-grey feathers of the throat, 

 so similar to what may be seen in Palmeria, leave no question 

 as to its affinities. In the second division the ashy plumage 

 of Loxioides appears aberrant at first sight, but it is note- 

 worthy that others of the " green-^' section pass through a 

 phase of plumage very similar to this (e. g., certain species of 

 Loxops &c.), which shews how easily it may have been 

 acquired. Telespiza in the dark-spotted plumage of the 

 young is also aberrant, but this condition does not appear 

 to me comparable with the dark or black-spotted plumage of 

 the first division. Its position in the second or green 

 section is obvious, and Rhodacanthis might well be united 

 with it generically. 



