«f HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



perhaps from the lack of their accustomed varied diet. The song 

 is sweet hut not very spirited. 



The T. flavissima of Rothschild is now admitted by that author 

 to be only the extreme adult phase of the present species. 



.; Description.-^AduIt. Head, neck and under parts to lower abdomen 

 rich yellow; upper parts brown, more or less washed with yellowish, and 

 "with or without dark streakihgs on middle back; wing-coverts brown, 

 they with primaries and secondaries margined with yellow; abdomen 

 whitish ; tail feathers dark brown, margined with yellow ; bill horn color ; 

 legs and feet blackish brown. Juvenile birds are browner, and are streaked 

 above and below. Length about 6.50 inches. 



P.hodacanthis palmeri Rothschild. Hopue; Orange Koa Finch. 



This, the largest and finest of all the Hawaiian finch-like forms, 

 IS confined to the island of Hawaii, where it seems to be restrictt-d 

 to the western side, or to the districts of Kona and Kau. It is 

 known chiefly from Kona, but Mr. Perkins informs me that he 

 saw numbeis of the bird in the extensive koa woods above the 

 volcano. This locality is on the very edge of the rainy Olaa dis- 

 trict which the bird appears never to enter. 



The koa finch seems not to descend to low altitudes but to be 

 found from about 4,000 feet upwards. It frequents cliiefly the 

 forepts of koa, the beans of which constitute its principal food; 

 Mr. Perkins, to whom we now owe most of our knowledge of the 

 habits of the species, says "It does not restrict itself to the koa 

 bean, but varies its diet by feeding on lepidopterous larvae, just 

 as the Psittaci rostra does." "Its peculiar whistle, though not very 

 loud, is very clear, and can be heard for a considerable distance. 

 If imitated closely it will readily answer and sometimes, after 

 fruitless search for hours without even hearing a sound trom this 

 bird, a whistle has been immediately responded to." 



Description. — ^Adult male. Head, throat and under parts reddish 

 orange, duller on the abdomen; back and upper wing-coverts dull greenish 

 olivaceus. Wing and tail blackish brown. Length about 8j4 inches. 



The female is duller; above olive-green, brighter on the for.eheadi 

 Throat and sides of body olive-green; breast and abdomen dull white 

 washed with green. 



