Recently published Oniilholnfj'icnl U'orlis. 537 



melanotis dadalns, Dacnis venusta faliginata, Calospiza 

 gijroluides deleticia, and Atlapetes crassus. In the second 

 paper Rhynchocyclus siifphurescens exortivus from Santa 

 JMarta is characterized as a new subspecies. In the third 

 paper new and rare species are noted or described from some 

 collections recently made in Costa Rica by Mr. F. Under- 

 wood. Tlie novelties are called Trogon melanucephalus 

 illatabi/is and Aimophilu rufescens hypathrus. 



52. Bryan on Birds from Molokai [Hawaiian Islands). 



[Some Birds of Molokai. By Wm. Alanson Bryan, formerly Curator 

 of Ornitliology and Taxidermist in the Bishop Museum. Occ. Pap. 

 Bis^hop Mus. vol. iv. no. 2. Honolulu, 1908.] 



With a view of obtaining materials for the series of 

 Hawaiian bird-groups in the '' Bishop Museum," Honolulu, 

 Mr. Bryan spent two months '(April 15th to June 15th, 

 1907) in the mountains of jNIolokai. His main object was 

 to get specimens of the " Black JNIamo " [Drepanorhamphus 

 funereus) — " one of the rarest of living birds/' but other 

 species were not neglected, and a good series of field-notes 

 Avas likewise put together. 



Mr. Bryan gives us a graphic account of his struggles to 

 secure specimens of the much wished for bird. Several 

 previous explorers had failed in doing so, and it was gene- 

 rally supposed that the species was quite extinct. From his 

 various camps on the mountains of Molokai, Mr. Bryan 

 searched the wet bog-forests, which are drenched by almost 

 continuous rain, for many weeks in vain. At length, when 

 he and his guide were cutting their way through a particu- 

 larly dense and unpromising jungle, they heard ''a clear, 

 gentle, even whistle, Ho-a,'' uttered by some bird not fifty 

 yards away. Mr. Bryan began to imitate the call as well as 

 he could, and the curious black bird with its wonder- 

 fully curved bill flew down, and perched in a tree within ten 

 feet of him. Thus the first specimen was obtained, though it 

 was most difficult, when shot, to find it in the dense herbage. 

 Two fine adult male individuals were subsequently procured 

 in the same district. 



