

" In regard to the dimensions, it will be seen from the subjoined table of measure- 

 ments of adult H. mexicanus compared with those of II. knudseni, as given above, that 

 in the latter the bill is 4 mm. longer than maximum of the former, the tarsus 7 mm. 

 longer, and the tail-feathers 13 mm. longer, while the wing is slightly shorter than that 

 of the largest H. mexicanus. The extraordinary length of the tail in the Hawaiian 

 bird is especially remarkable, it being more than 25 per centum longer than the 

 average of five adult males of the North American species. 



"The occurrence of a Stilt in the Hawaiian Islands was first recorded by Dr. A. v. 

 Pelzeln (I. «?.), who named the bird H. nigricollis, with a query. The specimen was 

 a female, collected at Honolulu, February 21, 1870, by Mr. H. Kraus, who noted 

 the colour of the iris as 'reel.' Dr. O. Finsch (I. c), during his recent visit to the 

 islands, observed the Stilt on Maui, and now we have it, thanks to the liberality of 

 Mr. Knudsen, from Kauai. This gentleman states that the name by which it is known 

 to the natives is ' Aeo.' 



'•'•Measurements of Himantopus mexicanus. 

















a 





J3 



TJ. S. Nat. 





Sex 

 and 

 age. 









£' 



s 





£ 



Mus., No. 



Collector. 



Locality. 



Date. 





■3 



% 





ii 













60 



*v 



o 



3 

















& 





* T! 













£ 



H 



W 



H 



a 



84669.... 



Maynard. 



d" ad. 



Mori da. 





222 



68 



66 





30332 .... 



Marsh. 



6 ad. 



Jamaica. 



Apr.— 1863. 



200 



64 



66 



114 



45 



59754.... 



Sumichr. 



d 1 ad. 



Tehuantepec, Mexico. 



Aug. 4, 1869. 



227 



69 



68 



114 



46 



17274.... 



Xantus. 



cJ ad. 



Sierra de Santiago, 

 Lower California. 



Jan. — 1860. 



228 



74 



66 



112 





79839.... 



Hcnshaw. 



d 1 ad. 



Colorado. 



June 21, — . 



234 



70 



71 



113 



46 



17272.... 



Xantus. 



? ad. 



Sierra de Santiago, 

 Lower California. 



Jan. — , 1860. 



220 



74 



63 



102 



42 



80998.. . 



Ober. 



$ ad. 



St. Thomas, West 

 Indies. 





214 



70 



66 



107 



43 



1154.... 



Baird. 



$ ad. 



Cape May, X. J. 



July 21, 1813. 



215 



68 



65 



107 



43" 



The same author, in a second paper, refers to this bird as follows :— 

 "Two specimens from Niihau confirm the validity of this species. The peculiar 

 coloration of the tail alluded to in the original description is also found in these, though 

 less pronounced in No. 113463. The additional specimens, however, present another 

 very strongly marked character which I did not mention in describing the type speci- 

 men, because most of the feathers in question were wanting, viz., that the longest upper 

 tail-coverts have the inner webs entirely black, and that the down surrounding the 

 uropygial gland is blackish. In some of the specimens of //. mexicanus the upper 



