98 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



Iris dark brown ; upper mandible brown with yellow markings at base ; lower mandible 

 whitish yellow with brown tip, and brown at each side of base; gape pale yellow ; tarsi 

 lighter than in adults. 



Dimensions of perfect and sexed adult males and females. 





Tail. 



Tarsus. 



Culinen. 



Length of lower 

 mandible from the 

 mental apex to 

 the tip. 







A. Males. 







in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



3-4 



2-05 



0-95 



1-2 



1)55 



3-3 



2 



0-8 



1-07 



05.3 



3-35 

 3-3 



2 



0-8G 



1-04 



0-5 



1 •!>.-> 



0-9 



147 



0-6 



3-4 



2 



0-88 



1-05 



0-55 



3-25 



2*08 



0-9 



1-1 



0-6 



3-3 



1-96 



0-8 



1-16 



0-53 



3-3 



1-9 



0-9 



1-1 



0-56 



3-35 



2 



0-95 



1-12 



0-5 



3-3 

 3-3 



2-0!) 



1 



1-07 



0-57 



1-98 



0-9 



1-1 



0-55 



305 



1-9 



1 



1-1 



0-5 







B. Females. 







3-15 



1-8 



0-83 ! 



0-9 



0-5 



3-2 



1-85 



0-84 



0-9.5 



0-45 



3-15 



1-8 



0-84 



0-91 



0-5 



3-21 



1-8 



0-83 



0-9 



0-51 



3-15 



1-9 



0-87 



1 



0-45 



3-2 



1-8 



0-88 



0-9 



05 



3-15 



1-9 



0-86 



0-92 



0-5 



Hob. Island of Hawaii. 



Palmer found this bird ray common in Kona district on the south-west side of the island, 

 at heights of 2000 to 4000 feet, and a few were seen at higher elevations. They were also 

 common above Hilo, north-east, at 1400 to 3000 feet. Numbers were seen in the district of 

 Hamakua, north-east side, at from 2000 to 5000 or G000 feet. Palmer says : " I believe 

 them to inhabit all the upland forests." 



Palmer and Perkins have watched and described the process of feeding in this peculiar 

 bird, and how it uses its bill. It taps the branches and bark with its under mandible, 

 while holding the bill wide open. The sound of the tapping is distinctly heard at a distance 

 in the quiet forests. After the bird had tapped vigorously for some time he was seen either 

 going on again or stopping to take something out of the bark. He hooked the insects from 

 holes or crevices. The tapping of the bark and branches, Palmer thinks, was done to find out 

 whether they were sound or insect-eaten, and also to lay open the holes of larvae, &c, for 

 the under mandible of this bird is very strong. 



Wilson says : — " In the Island of Hawaii, to which, as far as we know at present, it is 

 peculiar, this bird is decidedly rare, and I obtained only three specimens during a stay of some 



