36 EAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



both lacking the bird. The habits of the three species do not . 

 differ essentially. 



Description. — Adult. Above dark smoky grey with a brownish tinge; 

 forehead and space around the eye washed with pale buflf j rump and upper 

 tail-coverts white. Quills blackish brown, margined with pale brownish 

 ash on the outer webs, and with white on the inner webs; secondaries 

 white tipped. Tail blackish brown; outer tail feathers tipped with white. 

 Wing-coverts, except the primary, tipped with white below whitish, 

 strongly tinged with brownish buff on the throat, breast, and sides of the 

 body, darkest on the breast. Under tail-coverts and axillaries white. 

 Length about 5.59 inches. (Rothsch.). 



CORVIDiE. CROW FAMILY. 



Corvus tropicus Gmelin. Hawaiian Crow. Alala. 



The Hawaiian crow is a singularly local species, and it may 

 be dpubted if in the whole world there is another crow the habitat 

 of which is similarly restricted. Though called the Kona Crow, 

 the alala is numerous in the forests. of both the Kona and Kau 

 districts of Hawaii, outside of which island it has never been 

 found. The bird ranges also into the scanty woods on the lava 

 along the Kau road below the Volcano House, and Mr. Oliver 

 Shipman informs me that a few pairs used to breed in the koa 

 forest some two miles west of the Volcano House. This locality 

 brings the bird within sight of the Hilo district, into which the 

 bird seems not to desire, or perhaps to be able, to pass. As food 

 suitable for the crow abounds in the Olaa woods, the only appar- 

 ent cause for the bird not spreading further northward would 

 seem to be the more abundant rainfall on the windward side of 

 Hawaii. 



The alala, like its congeners, seems to be almost omnivorous 

 and like them it possesses the unfortunate habit of robbing the 

 nests of other birds, even taking the eggs and the young of the 

 mynah. 



The alala has quite a variety of odd notes but includes in its 

 repertoire a ringing caw, caw, which sufficiently betrays its rela- 

 tionship though the note is pitched upon a much higher key than 

 that of our old friend, "Jim Crow" of America. 



