180 Mr. Scott Wilson on some 



with its long tubular tongue from the flowers of the ohia and 

 from the great tree-lobelias, of which the curved tubular 

 corollas are perfectly adapted in shape to the O-o's bill ; and 

 though I have on several occasions observed it feeding ou the 

 fruit of the banana, I believe honey to be its principal suste- 

 nance. In a state of captivity it has been kept with success 

 by feeding it on the juice of the sugar-cane. 



It has a very peculiar call-note, whence its native name 

 is derived ; but here I may insert some extracts from my 

 notes taken in the district of Kona, where it is still fairly 

 common : — 



" We shot two O-os to-day ; but these birds are extremely 

 difficult to obtain, as they are constantly on the move from 

 tree to tree, hardly ever at a less height than 90 feet from 

 the ground. Their cry is somewhat harsh and resembles 

 the sound of the letter O, repeated twice, with a well- 

 marked pause between ; it is, however, extremely difficult of 

 imitation by the human voice. The yellow axillary tufts 

 are very conspicuous when this bird is on the wing, and its 

 dipping mode of flight somewhat resembles that of the 

 Magpie, while its long tail still further suggests a resem- 

 blance to that bird. The O-o exhibits a decided preference 

 for the extreme top of any tree on which it alights, and 

 when thus perched may be seen continually jerking its long 

 plume-like tail up and down at a right angle to its body, all 

 the while uttering its harsh cry." 



As mentioned above, it is an extremely wary bird and 

 most difficult of approach when met with in the ohia-forest, 

 so that the only occasions on which I was enabled to watch 

 it at close quarters were amongst the foliage of the arbores- 

 cent lobelias, of which plants it is particularly fond. 



The males vary considerably in length, the finest specimen 

 I obtained measuring 13 inches from bill to tip of tail ; but 

 most of those I shot were considerably smaller. The female 

 is smaller than the male. I never obtained a bird in imma- 

 ture plumage, nor did I find a nest ; but from its evident 

 preference in the breeding-season, May and June, for the 

 topmost branches of the lofty ohia trees, I conclude that it 



