AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



119 



20. 0RE0MYZ A PARVA {Stejn). 



ANAUANIL 



Himatione parva, Stejn. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1887,, p. 94 (Kauai) ; Wilson & Evans, Avcs Hawaiienses, 

 pt. iii. text & pi. (1892). 



Adult male. Above almost uniform greenish, yellow, a little brighter on the head and upper 

 tail-coverts. Quills and tail-feathers deep brown, outwardly edged with the colour of 

 the back, inwardly (except at the tips of the feathers) edged with white. BcIoav all over 

 yellow, with a greenish tint, buffy or whitish on the vent. Thighs creamy white. 

 "Iris brown; bill brown, paler at base, pearly grey on basal half of lower mandible; 

 tarsi and feet brownish grey." 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but much darker and more greenish above, less bright 

 yellowish below. 



Younger birds are similar to the female, but much duller in colours. 



In this species the tip of the wing is formed by the third, fourth, and fifth primaries, while 

 the sixth is only slightly shorter than the fifth and the second slightly shorter than the 

 sixth ; first primary quite rudimentary. 



Oreomyza parva (Stejn.) can always be easily distinguished from all other members of the 

 genus by its small size and the almost uniform yellowish colour of its upper parts. Its 

 not perceptibly curved, but nearly quite straight mandible, as well as its wing-formula 

 (the second primary not longer, but a little shorter, than the sixth), unite it much better 

 with Oreomyza than with the very different genus Himatione, although it is not the most 

 pronounced form of Oreomyza. 



Total length nearly 4J inches ; adult males have the wing 2 3 to 2*4, mostly 2 35, the tail 

 1'6 to 1'65, tarsus 0*73, culmen 0*5 to 0*53 ; adult females are smaller, having the wing 

 2-28 to 2-3, the tail 148 to 1*54, the culmen 05. 



This pretty little Oreomyza inhabits the hill-forests of Kauai. Stejneger first described it 

 from specimens sent by Mr. Knudsen, and Wilson found it also in several places. The latter 

 author describes its call-note as a low " chirp," but he did not hear it sing. He says that 

 the range seems to extend throughout the forest-region, as it was found by Mr. Francis Gay 

 towards the summit of Waialeale (4000 feet), the highest point of Kauai. 



