110 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



flew into the tree just above my head, where it began to call again, as if calling its 

 mate, until I shot it. On picking it up I saw it was quite new to me, and I hope it may be 

 so to science. Its call-note might be described as a high clear 'chirrup' uttered three or 

 four times in quick succession at short intervals. After waiting a few minutes its mate 

 came up, but was shy and escaped me. I waited on the spot for about an hour, but none 

 came back : on returning to my camp, however, I was fortunate enough to shoot another 

 specimen, to which I was attracted by its cry, and I think I heard two or three more which 

 I could not get ; hut so many birds of various kinds were singing among the flowering trees 

 that it was very difficult to distinguish their various notes from a distance." 



Palmer obtained altogether four specimens only of this apparently rare bird. 



They are obviously forest-birds, but not inhabitants of high elevations, for they were 

 only observed at heights of about 500 to 1500 feet in Hilo district and all within a radius of 

 a few miles. They were mostly seen in the higher trees, hut one was once observed on 

 a banana-leaf not ten feet from the ground. It is pretty active in its movements and not 

 very shy, as a rule, hut difficult to catch sight of in the dense foliage of the trees. 



Its song is a whistling regular "trill," much like that of ffimatione virens, but louder, 

 with the exception of the last two notes, which sound much lower. It consists of six or 

 seven notes, clear and distinct. 



The stomachs of all contained insects. 



