AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



115 



18. OREOMYZ A NEWTONI {Bothsch.). 



Himatione newtoni, Rothsch. Bull. B. O. C. i. p. xlii (1893) (Maui) j id. Ibis, 1893, p. 443 (reprint). 



Adult male. Eorehead, line above the eye, cheeks, chin, and throat bright yellow. Entire 

 upper parts, except the forehead, olive-green, a shade brighter and lighter on the rump 

 and upper tail-coverts and on the top of the head. Below from the throat to the under 

 tail-coverts lemon-yellow, strongly washed with olive-green along the sides of the body. 

 Quills and tail-feathers deep brown, bordered with the colour of the rump; inner wing- 

 lining whitish. Thighs brownish olive. "Iris dark hazel; bill brown, base of lower 

 mandible light grey, with a yellow tinge ; legs and feet silvery grey, with a pinkish 

 tinge," (JET. C. P.) 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but duller above and below. 



Young birds have light spots to the tips of the wing-coverts, are dull brownish olive above 

 and along the sides of the body, light brownish buff along the middle of the underparts. 



The tip of the wing is formed by the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth primaries, of which the 

 third is the shortest ; the seventh is shorter, and the second is much shorter than the 

 sixth and seventh ; the first is quite rudimentary. 



Total length about 4£ to 5 inches, wing 25 to 2'G (female 2-47), culmen 0*5 to 0'6, tarsus 

 0'79 to 0-85, tail 18 to 1*9. (Measured 5 adult males and 1 female.) 



JIab. Island of Maui. 



This species was discovered by Palmer on the 16th of July, 1892, in the thick forest on the 

 slopes of Mount Haleakala, in the district of Makawao. It was rather rare and extremely 

 local, being found only on that one side of the mountain. 



It was gregarious and often seen in company with Loxops ochracea, Rothsch. In its 

 habits it reminded Palmer much of Oreomyza mana (Wils.), from Hawaii, but differed 

 from the latter in the colour of the legs. 



Like the other members of the genus Oreomyza it was fairly active, and invariably seen 

 running up the smaller limbs and branches of various trees in search of food. 



The food consists of insects and grubs, which they extract from the moss and bark on 

 the branches. 



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