HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 55 



Palmeria is a strong and active bird, possessing a vigorous 

 flight and displaying much activity in traversing the ohia branches, 

 or in flitting from one cluster of blossoms to another. I noticed 

 much animosity manifested by the individuals of this species to- 

 wards the akakani. The habits of the two species are too much 

 alike for friendly relations to exist, and the greater size and 

 strength of Palmeria enable it to drive away its smaller rivals 

 from coveted feeding grounds. Even the half-grown birds suc- 

 cessfully attack the akakani, and divide their time between sip- 

 ping honey and in chasing their rival cousins. 



Like most of the honey-eating birds, the stomach of the crested 

 honey eater is remarkably small for the size of the bird, so 

 etherial a food as the nectar of flowers being speedily and easily 

 digested and necessitating neither a capacious nor a strong 

 stomach. 



I heard no song at all from this species, though it is probable 

 that in the mating season the bird gives musical utterance to its. 

 feelings. It is to be noted, however, that at the same time and in 

 the same place both the akakani and iiwi were musical enough, 

 though both species were feeding their young. Palmeria has a call 

 note which is as characteristic as any sound heard in the Hawaii- 

 an woods. It is a loud, clear and rather shrill whistle, somewhat 

 like a flycatcher's call (great crested flycatcher), but perhaps 

 best described by comparison with the well known call of Bob 

 White. The note is easily imitated, and the birds can invariably 

 be induced to answer, and usually can be called up close to the 

 observer. But for this fact Palmeria would be indeed difficult to 

 discover, since it is neither numerous nor generally distributed 

 but, on the contrary, is very local, the birds seeming to dwell in 

 small, isolated communities. 



The flight of the crested honey eater is unaccompanied by the 

 rythmic pulsations so characteristic of the flight of the akakani 

 (and of the iiwi) while its larger size and whitish crest, as well 

 as the absence of the white crissum, serve to readily distinguish 

 the bird from the former species. 



I have mentioned the Drepanine characteristics of the tongue 

 of Palmeria, but there is another Drepanine feature wanting in 



