50 BIRDS OF THE HAWAIIAN GROUP. 



Genus HKMIGNA'THUS Lichtenstein. 



FIG. 7. H. OBSCURUS. 



Bill very long, slender and curved, witli the tongue as long as the bill ; feet 

 reaching to the tip of the tail (in the skin) ; tip of the wings falling short of the tip of 

 the tail by less than the length of the hind toe and claw. 



a. Back dull olive green ; species has very inconspicuous plumage; 



the whole upper surface and wing feathers on the outside are dull olive green, the 

 inner webs of the flight feathers dull brown. The under surface is light but still dull; 

 throat and centre of the abdomen, as well as the under tail coverts, pale buff. A bright 

 yellow superciliary stripe is very conspicuous, especially as diredlly underneath it from 

 the beak to the eye there is a dark brown streak. The bow-shaped, curved bill, which 

 terminates in a very fine, almost hair-like point, is exactly half as long as the body, 

 and the under mandible is three lines shorter than the upper. The whole length, from 

 the point of the bill to the end of the tail is 7 inches, bill i^, tail i^, tarsus 11 lines, 

 middle toe and claw 9 lines (Excerpt from Rothschild's translation of Lichtenstein' s 

 description) . Hab. Oahu ; rare or extinct. (No specimens in the Museum.) 



95. H. lichtensteini't^ Wilson. Kipi. 



aa. Yellowish olive green above ; under parts yellower. 



b. Smaller size ; bill shorter ; above all over a beautiful bright olive green 

 with a yellowish cast, yellowest on the rump, and with a distinct yellow mark over the 

 eye ; throat, sides of face and breast duller olive green than the back, fading into dis- 

 tinct whitish on the abdomen and under tail coverts, varied only with an olive wash; 

 primaries and tail feathers brown with olive on the outer edges ; lores smoky black; 

 wings falling short of the tip of the tail by less than .50 (in the skin). Female: Above, 

 greyish olive green; more olive green on the rump; lores blackish, above which is a 

 pale superciliary stripe ; chin whitish or greyish white -with a yellowish tinge, becom- 

 ing yellower on the chest and under parts, with olive tinge along the sides. Young: 

 Similar to female. Length 6.25-6.50, wing 3.00-3.15, tail i. 80-1. §5, chord of culmen 

 1. 25-1. 38, tarsus .87-.92, toe .80-.85, depth of bill .20, width of bill .25. Hab. Hawaii. 

 PI. XXIX., 9421. 96. H. obscur'us (Gmei,.). Akialoa. 



48 Since the first refereuce in Gray's synonomy (Cat. Birds Trop, Isds., p. 9) for Drepanis {Hemigiiaihu s) cllisiana is given ''Cei-thia obscura 

 (nee Gmel.) Vieill. Ois. dor. t. 53?". I prefer to consider that it is the teference to the exact place in the volume cited that Gray was in doubt 

 about, and that he did not intend questioning the name Certhia obscura. That being the case Di'epanis {Hemignathus) ellismna "will become a 

 synonym of Hemignathiis obscurus. Hence it seems that Mr. Wilson's name H. lichicnsteini should stand, 



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