246 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYSAN, ETC. 



This species is peculiar to the Sandwich Islands,, and is evidently most nearly related to 

 Fullca americana, from which it differs only in the much greater development of the frontal 

 'shield, the generally smaller wing, and the much wider white tips to the secondaries. In the 

 < Catalogue of Birds ' it is stated to he nearest to Fulica leucoptera, but to have a much 

 larger bill; but on comparing my series with a bird named F. leucoptera by Dr. Sharpe, we 

 find the latter to be very much larger and to have a very much larger bill than the 

 Hawaiian birds. 



Fulica alai is evidently distributed over all the Hawaiian Islands. Palmer sent 

 specimens from Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Niihau. Cassin mentions it from Hawaii, and 

 Finsch saw it in Maui. 



Nests and hard-set eggs were found on Niihau on July 20th. The nests were built up 

 some inches above the water, of rushes. They measured about 10 inches in diameter, and 

 contained three and five eggs each. 



