﻿Collecfi/n/ 
  in 
  Kona, 
  Hawaii. 
  107 
  

  

  both 
  oil 
  tlie 
  upper 
  and 
  lower 
  surfaces 
  of 
  the 
  branches. 
  It 
  

   was 
  on 
  the 
  11th 
  of 
  July, 
  soon 
  after 
  my 
  arrival 
  at 
  a 
  sufficient 
  

   altitude 
  for 
  this 
  bird, 
  that 
  I 
  first 
  saw 
  one, 
  a 
  fine 
  bright 
  male, 
  

   feeding. 
  When 
  1 
  first 
  caught 
  sight 
  of 
  it 
  it 
  was 
  some 
  ten 
  

   yards 
  off; 
  but 
  I 
  easily 
  got 
  closer 
  without 
  searing 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  

   slightest. 
  Being 
  bare-footed 
  and 
  bare-legged 
  at 
  the 
  time, 
  and 
  

   the 
  ground 
  being 
  overgrown 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  prickly 
  introduced 
  

   thistle, 
  after 
  following 
  it 
  for 
  half 
  an 
  hour 
  1 
  found 
  my 
  feet 
  

   somewhat 
  painful. 
  Meanwhile 
  the 
  bird 
  kept 
  straying 
  over 
  

   the 
  fallen 
  trunks, 
  turning 
  its 
  head, 
  now 
  right, 
  now 
  left, 
  in 
  

   its 
  desire 
  for 
  food. 
  In 
  this 
  manner 
  it 
  searched 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  tree 
  in 
  one 
  journey 
  without 
  retracing 
  its 
  steps. 
  And 
  

   this 
  is 
  how 
  it 
  uses 
  its 
  bill 
  : 
  — 
  The 
  upper 
  inaudible 
  it 
  plunges 
  

   into 
  the 
  small 
  holes 
  or 
  cracks 
  in 
  the 
  wood, 
  while 
  the 
  lower 
  

   presses 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  bark. 
  By 
  this 
  means, 
  I 
  imagine, 
  

   it 
  gets 
  a 
  considerable 
  leverage 
  to 
  liclp 
  it 
  in 
  opening 
  out 
  the 
  

   burrows 
  of 
  the 
  insects. 
  In 
  the 
  same 
  way 
  it 
  thrusts 
  its 
  upper 
  

   bill 
  under 
  the 
  loose 
  bark, 
  resting 
  the 
  lower 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  strips 
  the 
  bark 
  off. 
  The 
  upper 
  

   mandible, 
  though 
  so 
  thin, 
  is 
  very 
  strong 
  and 
  somewhat 
  

   flexible; 
  while 
  the 
  curve 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  follows 
  the 
  curve 
  of 
  the 
  

   burrow, 
  for 
  insects 
  nearly 
  always 
  barrow 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  in 
  a 
  

   cuive. 
  Should 
  the 
  curve 
  of 
  the 
  burrow 
  not 
  agree 
  with 
  the 
  

   curve 
  of 
  the 
  bill, 
  the 
  difficulty 
  is 
  overcome 
  both 
  by 
  the 
  

   slight 
  flexibility 
  of 
  the 
  beak 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  wonderful 
  flexibility 
  

   of 
  the 
  bird's 
  neck, 
  which 
  it 
  twists 
  round 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  

   curve 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  to 
  follow 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  burrow. 
  In 
  this 
  

   manner 
  it 
  gets 
  out 
  its 
  prey, 
  being 
  largely 
  aided 
  by 
  the 
  long 
  

   tongue, 
  which 
  is 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  upper 
  beak. 
  Every 
  now 
  and 
  

   then 
  it 
  gives 
  several 
  blows 
  to 
  the 
  trunk, 
  the 
  sound 
  of 
  which 
  

   may 
  be 
  heard 
  at 
  a 
  considerable 
  distance, 
  sometimes, 
  I 
  think, 
  

   to 
  frighten 
  out 
  its 
  prey 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  burrow, 
  some- 
  

   times 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  actually 
  breaking 
  the 
  Avood. 
  

  

  I 
  had 
  several 
  other 
  opportunities 
  of 
  observing 
  this 
  bird 
  

   when 
  feeding, 
  afterwards 
  ; 
  the 
  blows 
  that 
  it 
  gives 
  to 
  the 
  

   trunk 
  and 
  branches 
  are 
  dealt 
  Avith 
  great 
  vigour 
  and 
  with 
  

   the 
  beak 
  wide 
  agape, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  points 
  of 
  both 
  mandibles 
  

   come 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  surfnce. 
  One 
  hot 
  morning, 
  shortly 
  

  

  