AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



125 



22. OREOMYZ A BAIRDI, Stej* 



AKIKIKI. 



Oreomyza bairdi, Stejn. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1887, p. 99 (Kauai, Knudsen coll.) j id. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 



xii. 1889, p. 385; Wils. Ibis, 1890, p. 193; Gadow, Avcs Hawaiienses, pt. ii. p. 14 (structure); Wils. 



& Evans, Aves Hawaiienses, pt. ii. text & pi. (1891). 

 Oreomyza wilsoni, Stejn. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. 1889, p. 386 (Kauai). 



Adult male. Above clear olive-grey, tinged with olive-green on the rump and margins of the 

 quills and rectrices. Beneath pale olive-buff, nearly white on chin, throat, under wing- 

 coverts, and middle of abdomen, where also a more or less distinct sulphur-yellow 

 tinge is obvious ; strongly washed with olive-grey along the sides of the body. Bill light 

 brown, with a pinkish tinge ; the feet light pinkish brown ; iris dark hazel. 



Adult female. Exactly similar to the male, except that it may be a shade greener and duller. 



Younger birds are similar to adults, but have the lores, forehead, a short superciliary 

 stripe, and the space round the eyes dull white, or rather white suffused with a tinge of 

 palest olive-buff. 



Such specimens are very numerous, and I believe them to be younger birds, especially 

 since the closely allied sj)ecies of Hawaii, Oreomyza mana (Wils.), has the forehead also 

 whitish when younger, and in fact much resembles the white-fronted specimens of 

 0. bairdi, Stejn. 



Palmer found very few pale-fronted birds in the higher hill-parts, while lower down the 

 majority had this character, and often more developed than all those shot at higher 

 elevations. 



Stejneger has founded another species on these pale-fronted specimens, which he 

 named after Mr. Scott B. Wilson, but it has no specific value. Not only have I birds 

 in every possible intermediate phase of coloration in my collection, but there is no 

 constant difference in the dimensions or in the wing-formula. It is not surprising that 

 Palmer found more fully adult specimens in one locality, while more immature birds 

 were procured iivanother, but he also obtained them in both plumages in each place on 

 the same day. There is, however, no certain proof that the white-fronted birds are really 

 the younarest. 



Quite young birds appear to have whitish tips to the wing-coverts, as indicated in 

 several of my specimens. 



