118 HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



At the time mentioned the species was numerous in the Waihee 

 valley and probably elsewhere on Maui, but it is to be feared that 

 the species has since suffered from the mongoose, which is rapidly 

 exterminating the native puffins elsewhere on the islands. At 

 present no particulars of its habits are known. 



Mr. Bryan in his Key gives the island of Kauai also as the 

 habitat of the species, where it was obtained by Mr. Francis Gay, 

 and the bird may prove to be somewhat generally dispersed 

 throughout the group. I saw numerous puffins in the channel 

 between the islands of Molokai and Maui. They were rather 

 close to the steamer, and their appearance seemed to exactly coin- 

 cide with the present species. 



Description. — Adult. Above, including upper surface of wings and tail, 

 clear and somewhat glossy black. Border of under wing-coverts black. 

 Beneath, including under tail-coverts, pure white. Maxilla and edge and 

 tip of mandible black; rest of maxilla light brown. Tarsus and feet 

 light yellow, but black along the outer posterior side of tarsus, the outer 

 toe and half the middle toe. Wing, 8.65; tail, 3.75; bill, 1.28; tarsus, 1.80. 



Puffinus nativitatis Streets. Christmas Island Shearwater. 



Recorded by Mr. Bryan in his "Key to the Birds of the Ha- 

 waiian Group" as from the French Frigates and Laysan Islands. 



Description. — Adult. Lower parts uniform dusky black ; bill deep blacK ; 

 under wing-coverts deep sooty black; primaries and tail feathers black. 

 Length about 15 inches. 



Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt). Ake-Ake. Hawaiian Stormy 

 Petrel. 



Nothmg appears to be known concerning the occurrence of this 

 petrel in the islands, save that two specimens were collected by 

 Mr. Knudsen on Kauai, from which the species was described by 

 Mr. Ridgway, and that it has been observed and collected on 

 Niihau by Mr. Gay. Mr. Rothschild notes the bird also from 

 French Frigate Island. 



I have little doubt that the akeake is much more common and 

 widely dispersed among the islands of the group than the above 

 meager notices would seem to indicate. Very little work has 



