to develop the most specialized features. Other insectivorous birds, especially those 

 which are much larger than most of the Drepanididse, would, as more recent arrivals, find 

 competition very difficult under the prevailing circumstances. However, the small 

 Chasiempis does manage to coexist with the Drepanididae. A berry-eating bird, such as 

 a generalized or rather primitive Thrush, would, on the other hand, find the field free, 

 and would therefore not be forced to become so intensely Turdine as the members of 

 the genera Geocichla, Turdus, and Merula are now. Lastly, if in the future far more 

 extensive and really exhaustive investigations should after all reveal the Prionopine 

 ancestry of Phasomis, we should have one more instance of the affinities of the 

 Hawaiian to the Australian fauna. 



Chasiempis sandvicensis. (PI. I. figs. 6-10.) 



Bill like that of Muscicapine birds, broadened and flattened towards the base, 

 with a distinct notch near the tip of the premaxilla. 



Nostrils with round openings, situated near the middle of the bill and in front of a 

 coriaceous groove which is covered with feathers. Posterior margin of this groove soft, 

 anterior margin hard, without any opercular flap, but partly concealed by feathers. 

 Long and strong upper rictal bristles are present. 



Tongue flat, slightly bifid and broken up near the tip. 



Pterylosis. — Primary remiges ten in number, the tenth or distal feather being two 

 thirds the length of the ninth. Tip of wing formed by the seventh to fifth primaries, 

 the ninth being shorter than the rest. Secondaries nine in number. Tail square and 

 long, consisting of twelve feathers. The spinal feather-tract forms a rhombic saddle, 

 in the middle of which is a faint indication of a featherless space. The posterior 

 continuation of the saddle is narrow, but broadens out again towards the oil-gland. 

 The pectoral tract has a distinct lateral hook. 



The metatarsus is covered in front by about five scales, which are distinct in front 

 only, but fused with each other towards the sides. The lateral and the median sides of 

 the metatarsus are each protected by one long scute, and on the posterior or plantar 

 side the scutes are separated by soft skin and do not form prominent ridges. 



Alimentary canal. — (Esophagus without crop. Stomach large and round, of moderate 

 strength ; it contained a large smooth caterpillar, together with the eggs, legs, and other 

 remains of moths. The eggs were probably not swallowed separately, but together with 

 the female insect. The gut is wide throughout ; it is short, and stowed away in simple 

 typically Oscine convolutions; the middle loop is the longest and is slightly spirally 

 twisted ; the last loop, partly overlapped by the first or duodenal loop, is almost closed. 

 Two very small, non-functional cseca are inserted 2-3 centim. from the anus. The 

 total length of the gut is 18 centim., the relative length about 4 - 5. 



Summary. — Chasiempis is an insectivorous Oscine bird, which in some of its essential 

 points agrees with the Muscicapidse, while it differs considerably from the Pachy- 

 cephalinse, and therefore from the Laniidae. I cannot find any resemblance between 

 Chasiempis and Miro, which have been placed near each other (Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 



