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AVIFAUNA OF LAYS AN, ETC. 



This is one of the few birds known in early days which evidently was not from Hawaii. 

 Latham had already recognized the differences, but in ignorance of the proper locality and 

 with so very little knowledge and material of the other forms he carefully noticed the 

 differences, at the same time putting it under the larger species as a variety or different sex 

 of the same, leaving it to future researches to decide its proper value. 

 Cassin was the first to give this species a specific name. 



Wilson says it seems to he found at all elevations throughout the forests, and is called 

 " O-o A-a," the dwarf O-o, by the natives. The call-note is, according to Wilson, " somewhat 

 similar to that of the larger O-o, though in a higher key; the bird has also a sweet song, 

 some of its notes possessing a bell-like clearness." Its chief food, Wilson says, is nectar, 

 but it also eats ripe bananas, which it hollows out. 



Palmer found this bird common on Kauai. He saw it more often than its congeners on 

 the trunks of trees, especially Ohias, pecking in crevices of the bark. It was very numerous 

 on flowering Ohias. On one single tree of that kind Palmer saw more than once about a 

 dozen at the same time. He says in his diary :— " When I sat down under the tree and 

 imitated its cry, half a dozen came right close to me ; then seeing my dog move, gave out 

 shrill squeaking notes which I think were alarm-notes, for instantly others answered, and 

 though not much frightened, they were now more cautious in coming close to me. When 

 walking along under the trees, where many dry leaves covered the soil, one made a rustling 

 noise which often attracted the curiosity of these birds, so that they came flying down to see 

 what was going on, and after satisfying themselves went up the tree again to continue their 

 interrupted search for food." According to Palmer they feed on nectar out of the Ohia- 

 flowers as well as on insects taken out of the same and of the bark and decayed trunks 

 of trees. 



These birds have a remarkable somewhat musk-like scent, even strongly perceptible in 

 a box of skins. This same scent is present in the other species of Moho. See also ' Ibis,' 

 1893, pp. 108, 109, where Perkins speaks of a similar scent in some of the Lrepanidce, 

 where, however, it is apparently much less strong, to judge from the skins. 



