fri 



difficult to discern the latter at all, even at a short distance, while the extreme rarity of 

 the species made me unwilling to risk the loss of a specimen by too close observation. 

 I agree with Mr. Palmer in believing that the bird merely inserts its long hooked 

 beak into crevices and holes in decayed wood, extracting by that means the grubs and 

 insects which abound under the bark ; its habit of keeping along the upper surface of 

 a branch and examining the'sides within its reach we both noted. The food doubtless 

 consists for the most part of insects, larvae, small beetles, &c, but I am assured by my 

 native — Keawe — that the Nukupuu also feeds on bananas and oranges, and I have 

 every confidence in the assertion. In the district of Waimea, especially near the 

 renowned Hanapepe Falls, after which I named my discovery, orange-trees are 

 numerous, and though I did not actually see the Nukupuu there, Mr. Palmer's speci- 

 mens from the vicinity of Makaweli make it very probable that the bird may occur 

 in that locality. 



Description. — Adult male. Front and top of the head dull gamboge-yellow, passing 

 into bright olive, which extends over all the upper surface of the back, wing-coverts, 

 and tail ; lores black, joined by a narrow black line just above the bill ; throat, cheeks, 

 and breast deep gamboge-yellow, passing into dusky white on abdomen and tail-coverts ; 

 wing- and tail-quills greyish brown, edged outwardly with olive; hides dark hazel; bill 

 and feet slaty black. 



Adult female. Tinged with olive on the forehead, an indistinct line passing over the 

 eye ; wing- and tail-quills margined with olive ; breast primrose-yellow, changing into 

 dull white on the abdomen ; lower tail-coverts tinged with buff. 



Dimensions. — Adult male. Total length 5-60 inches, wing from carpal joint 3-25, 

 maxilla following the curve 1*20, chord subtending the curve -80, difference between 

 maxilla and mandible "50, tarsus -90, middle toe with claw -70, hind toe with claw - 75, 

 tail 1-85. 



Obs. — Generally resembling H. olivaceus, but differing remarkably in the shape of the 

 mandible, which follows the curve of the maxilla as in H. lucidus, and is not straight 

 as in the former bird ; the rather brighter tinge of yellow that pervades most of 

 the plumage and the white abdomen are other distinguishing marks. 



