AVIFAUNA OF LAVSAX, ETC. 



97 



12. HETERORHYNCHUS WILSONI, Rothsch. 



? Hemignathus olivaceus, Cassin (nec Lafr. ?), U.S. Ex pi. Exp. p. 179 (1858) (as no sufficient description is 



given nor the exact habitat, it is absolutely impossible to say whether this is the Hawaii form or not ; 



only an examination of the specimens could solve the question). 

 Hemignathus olivaceus, Wilson (nec Lafresn. !), Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6, vol. IV p 400 188. ) 



(Hawaii) j id. Ibis, 1890, p. 191 (Hawaii) j id. & Evans, Avcs Ilawaiienscs, pt. ill. text & pi. (first plate 



of the Hawaiian species) ; Gadow, op. cit. pt. ii. p. 15 (1891). 

 Hemignathus obscurus, Perkins (nec Gm, 1), Ibis, 1893, p. 106 (Kona, Hawaii). 



Mr. Wilson refers the Ileterorhynchus of the island of Hawaii without hesitation to the 

 II. olivaceus of Lafresnaye, although he confesses to not having seen the type. On 

 looking at Lafresnaye's plate we are at once struck by the fact that his bird has a 

 distinct yellow superciliary line, which is wanting in the Hawaii bird. Moreover, the 

 latter has a perfectly straight lower mandible, while the plate of H. olivaceus distinctly 

 shows the under mandible curved downwards to fit the outline of the upper mandible \ 



I have carefully examined the type of Lafresnaye in the Paris Museum ; it is a fine adult male 

 and no doubt identical with Heterorhynchus lucidus of Lichtenstein, with a remarkably 

 bright yellow breast, so I have renamed the Hawaii bird in honour of Mr. Wilson. 



Adult male. Above bright olive-green, lighter and brighter on the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts, distinctly tinged with yellow on the top of the head. Black loral spot. Below 

 bright yellow, deeper golden yellow on the chin and upper throat, washed with olive on 

 the sides of the breast and flanks. Under wing-coverts and under tail-coverts whitish 

 yellow. Iris dark hazel ; bill black, base brown ; tarsi slaty grey ; soles pale orange. 



Adult female. Above olive-green, but not nearly so bright as in the male, less of a yellow 

 and somewhat of a grey shade in it. Below pale yellow, brighter on the chin, throat, 

 and upper breast, tinged with olive on the flanks and shading off into yellowish white 

 on the vent and abdomen. Bill shorter than in the male. Iris dark hazel; bill 

 black, base brown ; tarsi slaty grey ; soles of feet pale orange. 



Young birds are more like females, but more greyish above and less yellow below, where 

 they are of a pale dirty yellowish colour. All the colours appear to be somewhat 

 blurred through the presence of narrow and indistinct dusky edges to the feathers. 



1 This is also distinctly mentioned in Lafresnaye's description " la mandible inferieure est creusee dans toute sa 

 longueur, comme de coutume, et recourbee comme la superieure." 



