had the great advantage of comparing my examples with Townsend's, through the 

 kindness of the authorities of the Museum at Philadelphia, who with great courtesy 

 forwarded it, together with examples of other varieties procured by the same traveller, 

 for my inspection. Except for the fact that Dr. Gadow, in the Catalogue of the 

 Birds in the collection of the British Museum, combined this species with A. nobilis, 

 little more need be added to its history. 



This bird is confined to the island of Kauai, where it seems to be found at all 

 elevations throughout the forests, and is called 0-0 A-A — the dwarf 0-0— by the 

 natives, who therefore recognize its resemblance to the 0-0 of Hawaii {Acrulocercus 

 nobilis), while distinguishing it by its inferiority in size. The general appearance of 

 the two species, especially at a distance, is black, so that it is hardly a matter for 

 astonishment that mistakes occur even among the islanders ; but in that under 

 discussion the yellow axillary tufts are wanting, being replaced by others of a pale 

 buffish grey which are far less developed ; the colour, however, which is absent from 

 the wing, is here found on the lower part of the tibiae. 



Dr. Stejneger (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1887, pp. 100-103) has tabulated very fully 

 the differences between Acrulocercus nobilis and A. braccatus, while he gives a key 

 by which the three members of the genus may be very easily distinguished, which I 

 here reproduce : — 



"a 1 . Tail-feathers uniform blackish, without any trace of white M. braccata. 



a 2 . Tail-feathers blackish, four or more tipped with white. 



b 1 . Only two outer tail-feathers on each side tipped with white M. nobilis. 



b 2 . All the tail-feathers, except the middle pair, tipped with white M . apicalis." 



So far back as 1871, Dr. Sclater also (Ibis, 1871, p. 358) recognized these three as 

 undoubtedly good species ; and I trust that the coloured figures to be found in the 

 present volume will prevent the possibility of any further confusion. With regard 

 to the call-note — a kind of chuck — it is noteworthy that it is somewhat similar to that 

 of the larger 0-0, though in a higher key ; the bird has also a sweet song, some of its 

 notes possessing a bell-like clearness. It is common in the woods by which Makaweli, 

 the lovely mountain residence of the Sinclair family, is surrounded, where in the 

 early morning its dulcet tones may be heard to perfection, blended with those of its 

 forest companions; here its home is a natural plateau open towards the west, with a 

 magnificent view of the Pacific — the island of Niihau alone breaking the broad expanse 

 of ocean. Mr. V. Knudsen says that in districts of Kauai where the banana l grows 

 wild the dwarf 0-0 feeds on the fruit, hollowing it out before it is ripe. Its chief food, 

 however, appears to consist of nectar, which it extracts from the ohia, the arborescent 

 Lobeliacece, and other plants, in the same way as its large relative the O-O of Hawaii ; 



1 This information seems to be corroborated by the following extract from Townsend's ' Narrative of a 

 Journey across the Rocky Mountains and a Visit to the Sandwich Islands ' (Philadelphia, 1839, p. 207) : — 



" The Birds are the same here (Kauai) as we found and collected on Oahu, but are not so numerous. 

 They are principally Creepers (Oerthia) and Honey-suckers (Nectarinia) : feed chiefly upon flowers and 

 the sweet juice of the Banana, and some species are very abundant." 



