60 HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



plausible it may appear, seems not to accord with observations in 

 the field. 



The curiosity of this little bird is remarkable and, by making 

 odd, squeaking notes, the writer has more than once called a pair 

 down from the top of a tall koa to within a few feet of him 

 when he had no idea that there was an akepeuie within miles. 

 It is probable that certain small nests common in the outermost 

 twigs of the topmost branches of the koa belong to this species 

 but he has no definite proof of the fact. 



Like many other Hawaiian birds, the akepeuie pairs at an early 

 age, while- still in the juvenile dress. There appears to be much 

 individual diflference in- plumage in all stages, particularly that 

 of the adult, or, at least, of the breeding, females. 



In the introduction to these pages brief reference is made (p. 20) 

 to certain tumors or swellings affecting the feet and the soft 

 parts round the bill of Hawaiian birds. A specimen was forward- 

 ed to Washington for investigation, and the following report has 

 been received from D. E. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry: "I am in receipt of your letter of September nth to- 

 gether with a specimen of a bird, Loxops coccinea, aStcted with 

 tumor-like growths on the head, feet and thighs. You state that 

 this disease is very prevalent among the various woodland birds 

 in the Hawaiian Islands, and request that you be furnished with 

 information concerning the nature and cause of the disease. 



In reply I would say that a microscopical examination has dem- 

 onstrated the presence within the degenerated tissues of numerous 

 fungoid growths which closely resemble morphologically the 

 blastomyctes described by Sanfelice in his article, Uber die path- 

 ogene wirkung der Blastomyceten, published in Zeit. fur Hygiene 

 und Infectionskrankheiten, 1897, page 298. 



These organisms have been demonstrated during the past sum- 

 mer in diseased chickens which were forwarded from Honolulu, 

 and this fact adds to the probability of the same microphyte being 

 the causative agent -in the disease under consideration. This af- 

 fection, commonly called chicken pox, sore head and bird pox, 

 has been known for many years and is usually found in warm 

 countries, especially in Southern Europe and the Gulf. Section of 



