106 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



A skin in the Museum of the University of Cambridge, apparently a female, is more uniform 

 below, where it is of a dull yellowish white. 



The single specimen in the British Museum seems also to be a female of this species and it is 

 much like the one at Cambridge, and does not clearly show the superciliary stripe, which 

 is also absent in the latter. The British Museum specimen has some whitish tips to the 

 wing-coverts, apparently indicating its immaturity. It has been minutely described in 

 the 1 Catalogue of Birds,' vol. x. p. 5. 



Lichtenstein, in the original description of II. lucidus, says of the male that " the olive-green 

 colour of the upper parts merges into grass-green on the top of the head and on the 

 outer edges of the quills " ; that the sides of the head and throat are pure orange (" rein 

 orangefarben "), shading into deep yellow (" dottergelb "), and becoming paler and duller 

 on the lower abdomen ; vent and under tail-coverts greenish grey. 



Lafresnaye gives a very recognizable figure and a short description of the colours, 

 which runs as follows :— " All above of a dull olive, with the top of the head yellowish ; 

 the eyebrows, fore part of the neck, and breast lively yellow." 



Prevost and des Murs give a Latin diagnosis : " Supra olivaceus, capite dilutius ; 

 superciliis et corpore infero lucide flavis, pectore fere junquillaceo ; striga olivacca a 

 commissura usque ad aures transeunte" ; and a Trench description, of which I give an 

 extract, translated :— " All above of a deep olive, clearer on the top of the head ; fore- 

 head, eyebrows, cheeks, throat, fore neck, and breast bright yellow, nearly jonquil-colour 

 on the latter ('presque jonquille ') ; a dark streak through the eve. The secondaries 

 are bordered with olive-green ; the primaries and their greater coverts with yellowish. 

 Bill and feet horn-bluish." The female has some yellow only on the eyebrows, cheeks, 

 and throat. 



The Erankfort specimen measures :— Total length 5J inches, culmen 11, length of under 

 mandible 0*7, wing 2 95, tarsus 0*70, tail 2 9. 



According to Lafresnaye the culmen measures 118 inch; Sharpe (Cat. B.) gives total length 

 5-2 inches, culmen 1, wing 2*8, tail T75, tarsus 0'8. The culmen in adult males is much 

 longer than in females or immature birds. 



I intend to give a Plate of this species in Part III. 



Tins species was found by Lcppe on Oahu in January 1838, and was seen in great numbers 

 flying round the flowers of the banana-plantations. 



Palmer was told that it used to be not uncommon just above Honolulu, but no recent 

 collector has been able to find this bird. 



It is evidently extinct and one of the rarest birds in collections. 



