22 Wknshaw, T/ie Elcpaio of Ha-cvaii. \ W]^ 



securing a permanent foothold, and of securing a livelihood, under 

 conditions that might prove fatal to a flycatcher of more special- 

 ized habits. 



Yet, as a matter of fact, the Elepaio occupies but three islands 

 of the group, viz. Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii, the two oldest and the 

 most northern of the group, and the youngest and the southern- 

 most member. The bird is thus absent on the three middle 

 islands, two of which, at least, are well adapted to its habits. A 

 flight of twenty miles would carry the bird from Hawaii to Maui, 

 and the absence of the bird from this latter island, and from 

 Molokai, is a puzzling and interesting fact in bird distribution. 



It is difficult to understand, indeed, how the bird originally 

 reached the island of Hawaii from Oahu, the two islands being 

 about one hundred miles apart, unless by way of the nearer and 

 intermediate islands of Molokai, Lauai and Maui. Upon the 

 other hand it does not seem at all probable that the bird once 

 occupied either, or all three, of the intermediate islands, and 

 either voluntarily abandoned them, or became extinct there. 



However if final extinction was known to have followed the 

 bird's occupancy of either one, or all three, of the above islands, 

 it would add but one more instance to the several already known 

 where birds seem to have found their way to, or have originated 

 upon, the islands, to have gained a more or less firm foothold, and 

 then to have perished off the face of the earth from no determin- 

 able cause. 



That the Hawaii Elepaio is a direct derivative from the Oahu 

 form {gayi) rather than from that of Kauai {sciate/'i) is highly 

 probable. Not only is Oahu much nearer to Hawaii, but the 

 Oahu form much more nearly resembles birds from Hawaii than 

 does the form from Kauai. As to which of the two islands, Oahu 

 or Kauai, was first reached by Chasicmpis from its original home 

 far to the southward, there seems to be no evidence, although, as 

 Kauai is much the older island, it is permissible to infer that the 

 bird's first foothold was there. 



From the time when first described down to a comparatively 

 recent period, the members of the genus have been the cause of 

 much confusion to writers. This is due chiefly to the fact that 

 the juvenile plumage differs markedly from the adult dress and. 



