80 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



specimens of Hemignathus obscurus from Maui. Now we know that the Heterorhynchus of 

 Maui is distinct; hence we must believe that both Mr. Scott Wilson and my collector Henry 

 Palmer foiled to procure this bird on Maui, supposing Dole was right in his statement, so 

 thai there would remain a new Hemignathus to be described 1 . 



Dr. Stejnegcr says in the 'Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum,' 1887, under 

 "Hemignathm obscurus? p. 93 :— « Generally this bird is referred to the same genus as 

 Hemignathm lucidus, but with doubtful propriety, as I think. The bills in this group of 

 birds have served as the chief character for the establishment of genera, and if we recognize 

 more than one genus of Drepanine birds, the two species of Heterorliynclius, with their 

 unique bills, should certainly stand alone. With specimens in hand, Mr. Sharpe would never 

 have included H. obscurus in a genus which he defines as having the < upper mandible nearly 

 twice the length of the lower one,' for the species in question has ' both mandibles of nearly 

 the same length,' the difference being about one-tenth the chord of the exposed culmcn." 



I quite agree with Dr. Stejneger, and now, as we have eight species, of Avhich four have 

 both mandibles about equal in length, and four have the upper mandible about twice the 

 length of the lower one, I think it is quite justifiable to split them into these two well- 

 defined genera. 



These two genera belong to the family Drepafiididce, so called from Drepanls pacifica, 

 the Great Hook-billed Creeper of Latham. This family contains the bulk of the very curious 

 Passerine birds of the Hawaiian Islands, and has been placed in the neighbourhood of the 

 Ccerebkhe and Dlccelda?. Prom observations made on the anatomy of a recently-killed 

 Drepanis pacifica, I have reason to doubt its close relationship to the other members of the 

 Drepanidid<B\ this question I leave others to decide, but I shall again refer to it under 

 Drepanis pacifica in the third part of this work. 



Generic Characters of Hemignathus. 



Bill very long and curved, not serrated, the upper mandible slightly longer than the 

 lower. The cutting margins of the under mandible curved inwards, and therefore 

 slightly overlapped by the upper mandible. Tongue as long as the mandible, forming a 

 tubular brush. Nostrils protected by an operculum and bare of feathers. Bictal bristles 

 absent. Peet of medium size and strong. Tarsus covered in front with four or live long 

 scales, which sometimes almost entirely or quite fully coalesce with each other, and also 

 show much tendency to fuse with the lateral rows. 



The tip of the wing is formed by the third, fourth, and fifth primaries (the first being 

 quite rudimentary) ; the sixth is slightly shorter than the fifth, and a little longer than 

 the second 3 . Tail about equal, short and soft. 



As I find an intimate connection between the avifauna of Alaui, Lanai, and Molokai, and as Henry Palmer confirms 

 my ideas about distribution in respect to altitude, I feel bound to suggest that the species of Hemignathus on Maui and 

 the Heterorhynchus on Lanai may be only my Heterorhynchus affinis and Hemignathus lanaiensis. 



2 I may here say that I count from the outermost primary inwards, as all ornithologists used to do, and that I do not 

 foDow Gadow and other anatomists in counting from the first primary wdiich follows the secondaries. Gadow's method 

 is quite natural and logical, but wholly unpractical for ornithologists in handling skins and stuffed birds. 



