Letter from the Pacific. 79 
loud and harsh ; and the eggs are smaller, as is also the bird. 
The eggs I got at the lagoon of Kahalui. Here I also ob- 
served Actitis incana, a Charadrius (like C. hiaticula), a 
Himantopus, which Mr. Dole designates H. candidus, but 
which seems to be identical with the American species, and 
a Snipe lke our Gallinago scolopacina. This Snipe is not 
yet known from the Sandwich Islands, and is perhaps new. 
In the autumn the lagoon is said to swarm with Plovers 
(Charadrius fulvus), now breeding in arctic regions, and 
Ducks. Of the latter (Anas wyvilliana, Sclater) I saw flocks 
in the swamps near Waimanalo (Oahu). There were also a 
few Herons frequenting the reeds, and reminding me in 
manners very much of our Nycticoraz, perching during the 
daytime in Pandanus-trees. They were of uniform greyish 
brown, and belonged apparently to Ardea sacra. The white 
form I observed once at Kahalui. 
Reaching Olinda (about 5400 feet altitude), halfway to 
the Haleakala, I found native forests of Kokui and Ohia trees, 
and in them native bird-life. During ten days’ stay in this 
region I got examples of only five species of birds, but ob- 
served some others, and one or two which seemed to me 
from their notes very peculiar, and which gave me the idea 
that these woods may hold a few unknown species. But it is 
very hard work to make observations in these forests, with 
their immense wilderness of fallen trees and shrubs, and still 
more difficult to shoot a bird, and to find it when shot. 
Naturalists who have seen the tropics of Africa and America, 
will wonder to hear that I succeeded in getting only twenty 
birds ; but I had to do all the work myself, as the able bird- 
catchers of former days among the natives are nearly as ex- 
tinct as the whole race. And in the same way are going the 
native forests, and with them the native birds. With the 
Oliva tree, on the wonderful red flowers of which the Drepanis 
feeds, will disappear these lovely birds, which formerly fur- 
nished the materials for the precious clothes of the kings. 
I observed many examples of Drepanis coccinea and D. san- 
guinea, and heard their nice little song, and got them. But 
it was moulting-time, and the birds did not make good speci- 
