Notes 071 the Birds of the Waianae Mountains. 41 



it was my good fortune to see several pairs building their nests, 

 and still more mating, in no instance did I observe a rufous-rumped 

 immature bird nesting or mated with a white-rumped bird or in 

 an}' way conne(5led with the nest-building operations of the latter. 

 A splendid series of birds in both phases of plumage was secured, 

 and not a few nests and parent birds were colledled, with an eye 

 single to this point, and as a result my observations lead me to 

 question somew^hat the conclusions drawn bj' Mr. Palmer in this 

 instance. 



We found the white-rumped birds mated and settled, usually 

 within calling distance of their kind ; and occasionally, by the 

 most painstaking efforts we were able to discover the beautifully 

 concealed, and consequently much desired, nest. I have put in 

 hours at a time watching these happy little workers as they flit 

 about from branch to branch, cocking their heads first on this side 

 then on that, picking a green larva from a leaf, or now and then 

 making a dart out in true fly-catcher fashion to take some unwary 

 insect on the wing. Feeding around over a somewhat limited 

 area, returning again and again to the same tree ; now and 

 then giving a pleasant, clear whistle, Ele-pai^o, this charming 

 little enthusiast may be found at his labors all day long. When 

 it observes an intruder it will approach quite near and scold 

 Chur-c]nu\ c/nir, chnr-chur, at which its mate will join in the 

 protest. If they find that nothing comes of their joint efforts, 

 they will resume their feeding and calling. On visiting the locality 

 on the next day or the next week, by sitting down and patiently 

 waiting and giving the little kissing sound, which is so easily imi- 

 tated by applying the tip of the finger to the lips, the pair, of 

 former acquaintance, will soon answer and return in person to 

 ascertain the cause of the call, always approaching ver)' near to 

 peer at one in wide-eyed curiosity. 



My note book for January 23 states that about 9 a.m. I came 

 on a C.gayi (Mus. No. 1543) working away at a nest which it 

 had built on a slender side limb of an Ohia tree, about twenty feet 

 from the ground. I watched the bird for twenty or thirty minutes 

 and decided that the ne.st must have young in it, as the mother 

 bird would come bringing objects to it which I took to be food for 

 her family. In the afternoon we came again, and, after some ob- 

 servation of the old birds, took a pi(5lure of the nest in the tree. 



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