THE AXI.MAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. ?:33 



Still rarer are the various species of the genus Loxops or the akeiia, which 

 are foxy-red or orange color, according to the age and the species of the bird. 

 As they feed chiefly npon the insects secured from the foliage of the trees, they 

 are very active little creatures; they resemble the olive-green amakihi in 

 habits, and although possessed of a short finch-like bill, they may readily be 

 mistaken in the treetops for their cousins with the slender curved beaks. The 

 striking peculiarity of all the species, however, is that the beak is not sym- 

 metrical. The tips of the mandibles cross each otlicr in mueh the same ' 

 fashion as that of the common "crossbill" finches elsewhere. 



The remaining species are too rar(> to he met with, except by the merest 

 chance, by any one save a professional oi-nithologist, and even then the enthu- 

 siast is often forced to remain for weeks in the wildest mountain forests before 

 even hearing the voice of the species sought, and more times than not the 

 whole effort to see or secure a s})ecimen results in the most depressing disap- 

 pointment. 



Rare and Extinct Birds. 



Of the species that have been known to inhabit the islands in times past, no 

 fewer than twenty are now so rare in collections, and for years have been so 

 scarce in the mountains, as to entitle them to have their names entered on the 

 list of species no longer in existence, or at least bordering on extinction. The 

 Island of Oahu can make the melancholy boast that it has a greater list of 

 extinct birds, in proportion to the total number of species known from the 

 island, than any other like area in the world. On Hawaii the moho •"' has been 

 extinct for years, having been exterminated, it is thought, by the domestic 

 cats that long ago ran wild. As it was a small flightless rail resembling its 

 cousin on Laysan, it is doubtful if it would have been able to survive the 

 inroad of the more recently introduced mongoose, which has been everywhere 

 merciless in its attack on ground-nesting birds. 



The fine black mamo" was brought to the verge of extinction by the Ila- 

 waiians .vears ago. From its rump the natives secured the rich golden-yellow 

 feathers used in the making of their feather cloaks, helmets and leis. 



The 0-0 1" likewise was driven to the verge of extinction for similar rea- 

 sons. Wlien the mamo became rare the natives began to substitute the yellow 

 feathers growing under the wings of the o-o foi' the rump feathers of the 

 former. Though they were not so rich in color, they made acceptable sub- 

 stitutes, and as a result these beautiful birds are now practicall.v all gone on 

 Hawaii, while on ^lolokai and Kauai the two species belonging to the "same 



(Dcscriiition iif Plate Continued frum Opposite Page.) 



4. Maui Amakihi (Chlorodrcpniiix irilsmii) : ^laui. .'5. Hawaii Half-bill (Helcroiin/nchus mil- 

 soni) : Hawaii. 6. Mamo {Hn iHim.s i„ir,ii,;i } : Hawaii, e.xtinct. 7. Alauhiio {Orcomy.stis 

 montana) : Lanai. 8. Chcetupl ihi nniiiisl iiiluiiin: Hawaii, extinct. 9. Loxnps rufa: Oahu, ex- 

 tinct. 111. Loxopn ochracen-. Maui, beeumiiig quite rare. 11. Oreunii/stis maculala : Oahu. 

 1''. HlKiductnithis palineri: Hawaii, very rare. 



