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HEMIGNATHUS LANAIENSIS. 



Hemignathus lanaiensis, Kothschild, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, i. p. xxiv (1893) ; id. Avi£. Laysan, p. 89, 

 pi. (1893). 



At the January meeting of the above Club in 1893, the following communication was 

 read from Mr. Eothschild, on a new species from the island of Lanai in the Sandwich 

 group, for which he proposed the name of 



" Hemignathus lanaiensis. 



'• H. similis II. obscuro, sed rostro valde longiore et crassiore, pileo cinerascente, notaeo 

 sordidiore olivascenti-viridi, pectore sordide flavo, hypochondriis sordide olivas- 

 centibus, et subcaudalibus albicantibus, distinguendus. Long, alae 3-l-3 - 3 poll., 

 culm. 2-9-3-1. 



" Hah. in insula Sandwichensi ' Lanai ' dicta. 



" Mr. Eothschild's communication contained the following remarks on this new 

 bird : — 



" ' This species belongs to the typical section of Hemignathus, which, in my opinion, 

 includes two different species from the island of Kauai, one from Hawai, and one 

 from Oahu, in addition to the new species. They all have the upper and lower 

 mandible of about the same length, while the aberrant Reterorhynclius-section, which 

 now contains four species, has the upper inaudible nearly twice the length of the 

 lower. 



" 'The male differs from the same sex of H. obscurus (its nearest ally) from Hawai 

 in its much longer and very stout bill, ashy-greyish tint of the crown, and much duller 

 olivaceous green of the back, neck, and rump. Breast dirty yellow, gradually passing 

 into dull olive on the flanks, instead of bright yellowish olive as in H. obscurus. 

 Under tail-coverts creamy white, instead of olive green. 



" ' Female. Everywhere dull greyish olive, becoming more yellowish on the abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts. Throat and cheeks dull greyish. 



" ' Young male. Similar to the adult male, but all the colours strongly suffused with 

 an ochraceous tinge. 



" ' Iris dark brown ; bill blackish brown, greyish at the base ; feet and legs bright 

 slaty blue, soles of the feet yellowish. Wing 3"1 to 3 - 3 inches, culmen 2'9 to 3*1 

 (much longer than that of II. obscurus)! " 



Mr. Perkins believes that he saw an adult male in Lanai, but he was unable to 

 procure it. 



2m 2 



