Owls, the favourite food of which they possibly were, as they lack the objectionable 

 odour of the other green birds, and the latter never seemed similarly frightened. As 

 to the Owl (Asio accipitrimis) itself, it now preys mostly on the introduced mice, 

 which abound, especially on the lower slopes and plains, but at times it may be seen 

 hawking for small birds in parts of the forest where mice are quite absent. Moreover, 

 it was probably much more abundant in past times, as it was never destroyed by the 

 natives, who considered it a most powerful god. The old navigators speak of its 

 great abundance and tameness; but since the settling of the country by white men it 

 has been largely destroyed (though still abundant), since it is given to carrying off the 

 newly-hatched chickens. To this day few natives will shoot at one of these birds. 



"To one species referred to this genus by Mr. Rothschild in his book ('The Birds 

 of Laysan,' &c.) I have not alluded. This is the Himatione parva, of Kauai, which 

 has neither the habits nor appearance of Oreomyza, but belongs rightly to the genus 

 in which it was first placed. It is to a great extent a honey-sucker, like its congeners. 

 The slight difference between it and them in the wing-formula is quite insufficient to 

 detach it from its allies. It also has the nasal opercula bare, as in the other members, 

 not overhung with antrorse feathers, like Oreomyza. But, apart from this, the 

 formation of the tongue at once shows its proper place. In Himatione and Loxops 

 this is elongated, very narrow, and terminates in a brush. The lateral margins are 

 bent upwards, to meet in the middle line above, and form a tubular canal, for about 

 half the length of the horny part of the tongue. In Oreomyza the tongue is very 

 short and comparatively broad, the sides but slightly raised, and not nearly meeting 

 above ; it is not terminated in a brush, but the apex is cleft in the middle for some 

 considerable depth. Himatione and Loxops (including Clirysomitridojps) are at once 

 distinguished from each other by the longer, thinner, more or less curved bill of the 

 former, the beak of Loxops being short and thick with the apex of the mandible more 

 or less deflected (either to the right or left), tending to cross the maxilla." 



Description. — Upper parts dark olive-green, with a band of yellow on the forehead 

 and above the eyes, which varies in breadth, though usually the front portion of the head 

 is mainly yellow, the cheeks and middle of the lower surface being similarly coloured. 

 The sides of the body are greenish, the bill and feet dark brown. In life the latter are 

 said to be silvery grey with a pinkish tinge 1 , 



Dimensions.— Total length 4/5 inches, wing 2-5, tail 2, tarsus -8, culmen -4. 



The female is greyer above and lighter yellow below, but does not differ from the 

 male so much as is the case in many other species of the genus. 



1 Rothschild, Avif. Lajsau, p. 115. 



