PALMER'S DIARY. 



(Di.) 9 



Palmer went into camp north of Olinda, Maui, on July 8th, 1802. The country was 

 much cut up by the continued rains, which occur in that district, transforming the narrow 

 valleys and precipitous gulches into roaring cataracts. The forest appears all dead except 

 in the deep gulches, which still look green. Between Wailuku and Haleakala is a vast plain 

 mostly planted with sugar-cane and called Great Sprecklesville Plantation, and in which 

 the only birds to he found are Mynahs, Linnets, and Pace-birds. Most of the time on Maui 

 it rained, and so collecting was extremely difficult and very unpleasant. 



July 13th, still continuing to rain. Palmer determined finally to start. Above 

 Mr. Hocking's house the mountain soon became impassable for the pack-horses ; so a camp 

 was made, from which centre the country could be explored. 



Bird-life was very scarce. The first day in camp the only ones seen were an " Iiwi " 

 ( Vestiaria) and two " Amakihi" ( ChlorodrepanU wilsoni). 



On July 15th it was very fine all day, and " Apapanc " [Rimatione sanguinea) was seen 

 and some more Amakihis secured. This latter, instead of whistling like the Hawaiian bird 

 {Ch. virens), has a low plaintive tweet. 



On July 16th the weather was very bad again, but was signalized by the discovery of 

 the new Akikiki (Oreomyza newtoni, Bothsch.). 



July 17^.— "Was mostly spent in skinning specimens and writing up the log. 6.40 p.m. 

 A stroke of luck has just come in my way. After supper my assistant and I went out to 

 attend to the horses, when we saw a strange-looking beautiful yellow bird sitting on a 

 passion-flower vine. I sent my assistant for the gun, and was fortunate enough to shoot it. 

 It turned out to be an albino Amakihi, being bright canary-yellow instead of green, but, 

 strange to say, the iris, bill, and legs were of the normal colour." 



Por some days the weather continued fine, but no new birds were procured, though 

 several specimens were added to the collection. Although so much rain had fallen in the 

 mountains, on going down to Sprecklesville for provisions Palmer found everything dried 

 up and the dust almost unbearable. He says several times he could hardly see his horse's 

 head for the clouds of dust. 



August lrf.— "I am again in camp, about a hundred yards from the forest, which covers 

 the lower half of the mountains and fills up the numerous gulches. It consists mostly of 

 Ohia-trees {Metrosideros sp.). The camp is 5000 feet high on the mountain. After 

 breakfast next day I started exploring, and had hardly entered the woods when I saw a 

 strange bird hanging on the branch of a Koa-tree, and, on shooting it, was delighted to find 

 it a new form. It had a bill not unlike the ■ On ' {PsiUacirostra\ so 1 shall name it in the 

 log-book the < Small On ' to distinguish it. [This was the female of Pseudonestor.] When 

 I shot this bird I saw two more, but failed to procure them. Shortly after this I saw a small 

 bird of an old-gold colour, but missed it. Half an hour later, however, I was fortunate 

 enough to shoot the male of the ' Small On.' The 'Akikiki' are very numerous here, and 

 now and then I can hear a note like that of an 'Akakane' {Loxops) which my assistant 

 is trying to locate. 



"My next two birds captured were true Parrots, which, from their numerous colours, 

 are evidently imported birds {Platycercus palliceps). There were four of them flying close 

 together into an Ohia-tree, when 1 shot the first, and the rest were easily killed one after the 

 other. Immediately afterwards we again heard the note of an ' Akakane ' (Loteops), but it 



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