° ' 1916 J Bryan, A Species of Drepanididce. 49 



AN UNDESCRIBED SPECIES OF DREPANIDID^ ON 

 NIHOA, HAWAIIAN GROUP. 



BY WILLIAM ALANSON BRYAN. 



What will probably prove to be the last species of land bird to 

 be recorded from the Hawaiian Islands has recently been found 

 living in a small colony on the island of Nihoa, a small isolated 

 remnant of rock situated in the northwest or leeward chain of the 

 Hawaiian group, and is here noted for the first time. 



For a number of years it has been my desire to visit this island, 

 which is in reality a small remaining part of what was undoubtedly 

 a much larger volcanic point in former time, — for the purpose of 

 studying its geology and collecting its fauna and flora. Although 

 I have made three round trips along the Leeward chain, "as far as 

 Laysan and Midway Islands, I have never been able to land on 

 this forbidden spot owing to unfavorable weather conditions and 

 the dangers which attend the making of a landing there, even in 

 the most favorable weather. With one or two exceptions other 

 naturalists who have visited this chain of islands have also been 

 unable to land and have been obliged to be content with viewing 

 it as I have done — from a distance. 



It is, therefore, with much satisfaction that I am able to report 

 that at my suggestion Captain James H. Brown, in command of 

 the U. S. Revenue Cutter "Thetis", was able to make a landing on 

 the island on the occasion of the April, 1915, cruise of the "Thetis" 

 to patrol the Hawaiian Island Bird Reservation. It is from 

 information supplied by him and the members of his crew that I 

 am able to report that my surmise with reference to the presence 

 of land birds on the island has proved to be correct. 



Owing to unexpected heavy weather the landing party was so 

 unfortunate as to have their whale-boat wrecked on the shore 

 after a safe landing had been made. One member of the crew 

 was seriously injured, but fortunately no lives were lost. Once 

 on shore it was with much difficulty and danger that the party 

 was able to leave the island; having to swim through the angry 

 breakers to a second boat sent out to rescue them from their 



