HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 57 



sters the writer has ever heard. The akakani has a delightful 

 habit of gathering together in loose companies in the tops of the 

 leafy ohia trees about midday, when hunger is appeased and most 

 of the other forest songsters are silent, when the males join in a 

 subdued lullaby and literally sing themselves and their mates to 

 sleep. 



The akakani usually nests in the tall forest ohias, but the writer 

 has seen numerous nests in the small, scrubby ohias about the 

 Volcano House which he attributed to this species; those ex- 

 amined were invariably empty. 



Description. — Adult. Above and below crimson, brightest on the head 

 and shading oflf on the abdomen into white ; under tail coverts white ; wing 

 and tail black, the quills and secondaries edged with scarlet; under wing 

 coverts ashy. Sexes practically indistinguishable. Length about 5% 

 inches. 



Himatione fraithii Rothschild. Laysan Akakani. 



According to Palmer the akakani is by far the rarest of the 

 Laysan birds, although it occurs in fair numbers. Like its rela- 

 tive it feeds upon the nectar of flowers though perhaps more de- 

 pendent upon insects, of which it is an energetic hunter. Accord- 

 ing to Palmer the bird has a low sweet song. 



The Laysan bird is no doubt a derivative of the Hawaiian 

 Island stock, and must have been a resident of its present domain 

 for a very long time. 



Mr. Rothschild states that it resembles sanguinea of the 

 islands, but has a Shorter bill, and the color is scarlet vermilion 

 instead of the darker blood-red of that species. 



Ciridops anna (Dole). Ulaaihawane. 



This beautiful and finch-like bird was first described by Mr. 

 Dole from specimens taken on the island of Hawaii where alone 

 the species has been found. These mourittd birds, two in number, 

 were in the collection of the late Mr. Mills and, presumably, were 

 taken by the natives not far from Hilo, perhaps in the Olaa dis- 

 trict. There is no evidence, however, of the exact locality whence 



