in the ohia-forest, so that the only occasions on which I was enabled to watch it at close 

 quarters were amongst the foliage of the lobelias. 



The 0-0 is esteemed a great delicacy by the natives, and used formerly to be eaten 

 by them, fried in its own fat. I can vouch personally for its excellence, as one day, 

 after bringing in a fine specimen from a collecting-expedition, I placed it carefully on 

 a shelf to await my convenience ; but at dinner the Chinese cook, Ah Lung, set down 

 in front of me a small dish, containing my lovely prize ! On remonstrances being 

 addressed to him in no measured terms, he only smiled and said " Me thinkee all 

 same Kolea (Plover)." However my host, Mr. Spencer, and I tasted it, and found it 

 excellent. 



I never obtained a specimen in immature plumage, nor did I find a nest, but from 

 the bird's evident preference in the breeding-season (May and June) for the topmost 

 branches of the lofty ohia-trees, 90 to 100 feet from the ground, I conclude that it 

 chooses a site amongst them, and venture to say that it will be long before its eggs are 

 taken, as not even a Hawaiian — bold, skilful, and withal utterly reckless climber as he 

 is — would be able to span that giant girth. The ordinary vertical range of this bird, 

 which I only observed on the island of Hawaii, is from 1200 to 4000 feet; but I am 

 told by my friend Mr. Ashford Spencer that he has observed it, at certain seasons of 

 the year, in the forest around the sheep-station of Kalaieha, of which the altitude is 

 above 6000 feet. It is probable that the O-O, like other Hawaiian birds, follows its 

 food, migrating to this high mountain-region as soon as the ohia-tree is out of flower 

 in the lower forest-zone. 



Peale, quoted by Cassin (U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 171), says: — "The Oo is found in most 

 of the woody districts of the Island of Hawaii ; it frequents the thick foliage of the 

 loftiest trees ; in voice and manners it has some resemblance to the Oriole of North 

 America [Icterus Baltimore). The natives capture it by means of bird-lime, and after 

 plucking out the yellow feathers from beneath the wings, restore it to liberty, until 

 again wanted to assist in paying the royal tax." I never could ascertain with certainty 

 whether the natives really set the bird at liberty after plucking out its yellow tufts ; 

 but doubtless at the time of Peale's visit in 1840 many of the old bird-catchers were 

 alive, from whom he could get the information ; yet I hardly fancy these birds were 

 taken as late as 1840 for the purpose of paying the poll-tax. 



Dr. Pickering, also attached to the Expedition, states that the flight was high, some- 

 what after the manner of the Boat-tailed Grakle of the United States. The note was a 

 loud chuck, repeated two or three times, and the habits reminded him of the Poi- 

 bird of New Zealand. Cassin goes out of his way to warn us that native names 

 are not entitled to much consideration — a warning which, in the case of the Hawaiians 

 (a people with a most accurate ear for sounds), is utterly uncalled for. He then pro- 

 ceeds to observe that the name of this bird must sound quite different to different 

 persons, and certainly — Mo-h6, Hoohoo, Uho — are strangely at variance ; however 

 we must ascribe this to the defects of ear of the individual explorers, since the 

 Hawaiian gives to it but one name, O-O. 



