12 (Di.) 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYKAX, ETC. 



"September 9///.— Went up to the forest above Kipalmlu plantation. There is a heavy Koa- 

 forest with dense undergrowth of ferns. Ordinary birds are plentiful here, so I hope I shall 

 find something s?ood inside the forest. I saw a bird of a dark red colour and considerably 

 larger than an Iiwi. I was talking to an old Kanaka, and he described to me a bird 

 someAvhat like that of a farmyard-cock. 



"In Keanei they told me about a bird with a comb, but as I could get no definite 

 information from them I thought it was a myth, but this native assures me it was often seen 

 in Kipalmlu Valley years ago. He calls it ' Akohekohe.' 



"From September 10th to September 16th nothing could be collected and nothing 

 particular was seen. The days were occupied by cutting the trail, every day it was raining 

 heavily. We had to build a hut of banana-leaves for the luggage, and it was difficult to 

 light a fire or to do anything. 



" On September 16th the lofty Koa-forest w^as passing over into Ohia-forest, as the 

 country was rising, the place became extremely wet and swampy. Sometimes we sank so 

 deep into the mud that Ave could not go on any further. 



"When Ave pitched the tent to-day Ave had the greatest difficulty to fix the poles, so soft 

 and swampy Avas the ground, and torrents of Avater Averc running doAvn the slopes. We did 

 not succeed in pitching the tent before we had created an island by digging deep ditches and 

 gutters for the water to go off, and Ave never had so much difficulty in making up our fire. 

 The forest here lias a Avild and peculiar aspect, dead fallen trees lying everywhere in one's 

 way and others standing lifeless and leafless between the green ones, so that perhaps only 

 half of all of them are ahve. 



" September 18th. — We moved on to camp no. 5 to-day, and came into a somewhat drier 

 region, Avhere Ave found better space for our camp than for the last Aveek. 



"The Portuguese servant, whom I had sent doAvn yesterday, returned loaded with 

 provisions which Ave needed very much. 



" As the av eat her Avas finer more birds Avere seen. ' Akikiki ' were quite common in certain 

 places, going about in small flocks, and I saAv a few Akakane, Apapane, Iiwi, and Amakihi. 

 An Ou I heard at a distance. 



" September 21st. — The past three days Averc as usual Avet, dreary, and unprofitable, but 

 to-day it is fine, and we reached a spot above the forest-region, I think about 7000 to 8000 

 feet high, our last camp being about 4000 feet high. The ascent up to the rim of the crater 

 Avould have been easy, if I had wished to go there l . 



" Besides the birds already mentioned Ave found here again the Maui Oo (Palmeria), and 

 since observing it more closely I came to the conclusion that it is the bird the natives speak 

 of as having a head like a fowd. We must have seen eight or ten to-day, but could only 

 procure four. 



" September 2 2wt/.— Besides six Palmeria secured Ave saw a 'small Ou ' (Pseudonestor), 

 so that except ' Akialoa ' (Ileterorhynchus) Ave have found every bird we obtained at Olinda, 

 also at Kipalmlu and the parts of the mountain just above it. 



1 Palmer speaks of the Mauna RaUakala ("house of the sun "). This mountain occupies the greater part of South- 

 eastern Maui and is 10,030 feet high. It rises from perpendicular cliffs near the sea, in many parts with one unbroken 

 slope to the summit. Mauna Haleakala has the largest known crater in the world, or it may be that it is formed of 

 several craters. 



