160 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYS AN, ETC. 



ones with more or less indistinct whitish shaft-spots near the tip. Iris dark hazel. 

 Maxilla hlack. Mandible black, dark brown at base. Tarsi and toes black, soles yellow l . 

 Total length measured in the flesh as 9f inches, but only about 8 inches in the skin ; 

 wing 4 to 4*25; tail 2 9 to 3; bill along the culmen 1*75 to 185, in a straight line 

 from the gape to the tip 15 to 16 ; metatarsus 11 to 1*2, middle toe with claw 0'85, 

 hind toe with claw 0*68 to 0*88. 



The measurements of the tail and metatarsus given by Mr. Wilson disagree not very 

 materially with mine, but that of the tail must be wrong, as he gives it as only 

 2*5 inches. The adult male obtained by Palmer is slightly larger than the specimen (sex 

 unknown) which I got from Mr. Wilson. 



When in 1891 Mr. Scott Wilson wrote his article in the second part of his ' Aves Hawaii- 

 enses,' he called the " Mamo " an " extremely rare and apparently extinct species." And, 

 indeed, it is rare in collections, for I know only of stuffed specimens in the Museums of 

 Vienna (where Latham's types are preserved), of Leyden, Paris, and Honolulu; and 

 Mr. Wilson brought the first two to England, one of which is now, after being " beautifully 

 remounted "!!, in the Museum of the University of Cambridge, and the other in my 

 Museum at Tring. These two latter were procured (about 1859 as Mr. Wilson tells 

 us) by Mr. J. Mills, of Hilo in IlaAvaii. No specimens are reported to have been killed since 

 that time; but Mr. Scott Wilson, "while staying at Olaa in the district of Puna in Hawaii, 

 where Mr. Mills secured his specimens, w r as assured by the natives that the bird still existed, 

 and at the time of his visit (October) had, together with the O-o, migrated to the 

 mountains," but, he adds, " which is barely possible." 



I am glad to be able to state that the " Mamo " is not yet quite extinct, because Palmer 

 sent me a skin with the body in spirits. 



As I mentioned in Henry Palmer's diary, he was severely kicked by a horse, and 

 therefore, not being able to do long walks in the Avoods, sent the old bird-catcher Ahulan 

 with several other natives, together with his "assistant," into the forests on the Mauna Loa 

 above Hilo. I give herewith the history of that little expedition as it is written down in 

 Palmer's diary from the notes of his assistant, with as few alterations of style etc. as 

 possible : — 



" Monday i April Villi, 1892. — Left Hilo at 8.30 a.m., and arrived at our first camping- 

 ground at 1.30, where we pitched the tent and built a cook-house. This camp was on the 

 same stream which forms the llainbow Falls, and there was also a fair size fall near the camp. 

 While half of the natives were busy with the camp the others went on to cut the trail through 

 the forest. The bush up to this place is mostly Ohia with big tree-ferns and thick under- 

 growth. The rain is coming down steadily, and a Avet night it is sure to be. I saw near the 

 camp many Iiwi, Apapane, Amakihi, Elepaio, and other birds. 



" April 13///. — We left camp at 8 a.m. and marched on as far as the trail was cut, to a 

 patch of thick bananas, where, according to the natives, Mr. Hitchcock stayed. We reached 

 this spot at 9.45 and pitched the tent, four of the natives going on to cut the trail. I searched 



1 These colours were taken by Palmer from the live bird. 



