ANIMALS RECENTLY EXTINCT 629 



nobilis), a black honeysuoker, with a tuft of elongated yellow feathers 

 uuder the wing, was caught alive, the feathers pulled out, and the bird 

 then let loose, but as the body feathers of the Mamo {Drepanis pacified) 

 were the only ones to be used it had probably to be killed, and this u\&y 

 be the very reason why the former is still a comparatively common bird 

 on the island, while the latter has become extinct. The Mamo was a 

 honeysucker remarkable for its long and curved bill, which earned for 

 it the name " Sickle-bill," Drepanis. As already mentioned, it is very 

 rare in museums — we can at present only recall four specimens — and a 

 good description is yet a desideratum. In default of a better we re- 

 produce the original, which was made by Latham a little over a hundred 

 years ago from specimens brought home by Captain Cook's expedition, 

 during which the Hawaiian Islands were discovered. 



Length, 8 inches; bill, If iuches, stout at the base, and very much hooked; color 

 of it brown, with a pale base; the upper parts of the body are black, except the 

 lower part of the back, the rump, and upper tail coverts, which are of a fine deep 

 yellow, the under parts of the body dusky ; the shoulders, inner ridge of the wing, 

 and part of the inner wing coverts are of the same yellow ; the bastard wing yellow- 

 ish-white at the end ; the under wing coverts snow white ; the sides of the vent, the 

 vent itself, and the thighs are yellow; the tail and quills black; the legs black- 

 brown. 



This is not the only Hawaiian bird which has become extinct within 

 historical times. A similar fate has probably also befallen Chcetoptila 

 angustipluma (Peale), of which probably not more than one specimen 

 exists besides the type which is in the U. S. National Museum, and the 

 small tailless Rail (Pennula ecaudata) which is nearly as rare. But still 

 worse, many more of the feathered tribes found only in those wonder- 

 fid islands seem to be near extinction, partly because of the destruc- 

 tion of the forest, partly on account of the introduction of hardier and 

 more aggressive species, such as the detested English sparrow. So 

 gloomy is the prospect that Mr. Scott Wilson exclaims: " It would not 

 be rash to say that ere another century has elapsed but few native 

 species will remain." 



THE CALIFORNIA VULTURE. 

 ( P8eudogryph its californ ianus.) 



The California Vulture disputes with the Condor the claim of being 

 the largest of the New World vultures, for, while the Condor is a little 

 the more strongly built the California Vulture has a little the greatest 

 spread of wing, large specimens having an alar extent of a little more 

 than 10 feet. It is more plainly clad than the Condor, the general 

 color being brownish-black, slightly glossy above, while the conspicu- 

 ous ruff of soft white feathers that encircles the neck of the great Vul- 

 ture of the Andes is lacking in its northern relative. The tips of the 

 greater wing coverts are whitish, forming a line across the closed wing, 

 and a broad band of white extends along the uuder side of the wing, 



