﻿108 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  C. 
  L. 
  Peildiis 
  on 
  

  

  before 
  I 
  left 
  Koua^ 
  I 
  watched 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  for 
  some 
  

   time 
  lying 
  on 
  a 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  mamane 
  and 
  basking 
  in 
  the 
  

   sun. 
  Now 
  and 
  then 
  it 
  wonld 
  lazily 
  tnrn 
  and 
  peck 
  at 
  the 
  

   bark 
  withont 
  changing 
  its 
  position. 
  Suddeidy 
  it 
  started 
  vip 
  

   and 
  commenced 
  to 
  feed 
  in 
  earnest^ 
  dealing 
  blows 
  with 
  

   savage 
  energy. 
  Into 
  these 
  blows 
  it 
  throws 
  its 
  whole 
  weight, 
  

   swinging 
  backwards 
  from 
  the 
  thighs 
  to 
  renew 
  each 
  stroke. 
  In 
  

   some 
  cases 
  at 
  least 
  these 
  blows 
  are 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  driving 
  

   out 
  insects, 
  or 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  have 
  that 
  result 
  ; 
  for 
  several 
  times 
  

   I 
  saw 
  the 
  bird 
  after 
  a 
  stroke 
  make 
  a 
  sudden 
  dart, 
  sometimes 
  

   even 
  taking 
  an 
  insect 
  on 
  the 
  wing, 
  and, 
  after 
  swallowing 
  it 
  

   with 
  evident 
  satisfaction, 
  return 
  again 
  to 
  its 
  labour. 
  Its 
  song 
  

   is 
  short 
  but 
  rather 
  pleasing, 
  and, 
  as 
  one 
  would 
  expect 
  from 
  

   its 
  habits, 
  full 
  of 
  life 
  and 
  energy. 
  

  

  The 
  long-billed 
  species 
  [Hemignathus 
  oUvaceus) 
  is 
  also 
  au 
  

   interesting 
  bird, 
  as 
  in 
  its 
  habits 
  it 
  is 
  intermediate 
  between 
  

   Himatione 
  and 
  its 
  short-billed 
  relative. 
  Himatione 
  mainly 
  

   feeds 
  on 
  insects 
  amongst 
  the 
  leaves 
  and 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  forest 
  

   trees, 
  but 
  not 
  infrequently 
  pecks 
  at 
  the 
  bark 
  in 
  true 
  Wood- 
  

   pecker 
  style. 
  In 
  the 
  long-billed 
  Hemiynathus 
  this 
  mode 
  of 
  

   feeding 
  becomes 
  much 
  more 
  usual, 
  and 
  its 
  tapping 
  may 
  often 
  

   be 
  heard 
  in 
  acacia 
  and 
  other 
  trees; 
  still 
  it 
  feeds 
  largely 
  on 
  

   insects 
  amongst 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  lehiias, 
  &c., 
  while 
  the 
  short- 
  

   billed 
  species 
  has 
  almost 
  entirely 
  assumed 
  a 
  Woodpecker's 
  

   habits. 
  This 
  bird 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  lower 
  forest, 
  

   but 
  extends 
  its 
  range 
  right 
  up 
  into 
  the 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  short- 
  

   billed 
  bird, 
  where 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  tree. 
  

   I 
  rarely 
  heard 
  it 
  sing. 
  Its 
  song 
  reminded 
  me 
  somewhat 
  of 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  yellow 
  Himatione, 
  but 
  was 
  distinct 
  enough. 
  

  

  And 
  here 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  appropriate 
  to 
  notice 
  the 
  scent 
  emitted 
  

   by 
  so 
  many 
  and 
  so 
  different 
  species 
  of 
  Hawaian 
  birds. 
  I 
  

   cannot 
  liken 
  this 
  scent 
  to 
  any 
  other 
  that 
  I 
  know 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  should 
  

   certainly 
  call 
  it 
  disagreeable. 
  In 
  Himatione 
  it 
  is 
  strongest 
  

   of 
  all, 
  so 
  much 
  so 
  that 
  when 
  a 
  small 
  company 
  of 
  these 
  

   birds 
  was 
  overhead 
  in 
  the 
  trees 
  the 
  whole 
  air 
  was 
  often 
  full 
  

   of 
  it 
  ; 
  both 
  my 
  native 
  assistant 
  and 
  myself 
  noticed 
  it 
  again 
  

   and 
  again. 
  Certain 
  nests 
  I 
  could 
  readily 
  recognize 
  as 
  

   belonging 
  to 
  Himatione 
  by 
  the 
  overpowering 
  scent 
  that 
  

  

  