The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-07

nouncing the Bishop 90 very rare
bird. During that time not specimen
was secured, nor was | able to hear so
much as a sound that could be even
attributed to it. This is the more re-
markable since we know that its char
acteristic call can be heard in the for
ests, especially in the more favorable
distriets-as at the heads of the great
valleys mentioned-for half mile or
more
My disappointment at not securing
this species was most keen. However,
as the Museum received but three inn
perfect specimens as its third share
of the collection made by Mr.. Perkins,
/ feel sure the species was at that
time September and August, 1899 by
no means common. Since the above
date it has certainly very appreciably
decreased in numbers, as Mr.. Munro
and are ready to testify. The require
ments of the Museum IS exhibition and
study series, no less than my desire to
see and study the bird alive, nerved me
to put forth every effort to discover
its whereab bouts. No pains were spared
in making a thorough examination of
| well as every place where it had been
merely reported as having been seen in
recent times AS result. the widest
| and most difficult parts of the island
forests were visited, not once, but re-
peatedly. On several occasions night
| or mores was spent, sleeping in the open,
in the center of promising localities not
| to be reached otherwise, in the hope of
l. l. al
| 90 either in the late afternoon or early
morning. Feeding grounds where the
| bird was reported to have been seen
90 in small fiocks'' a few months before,
were revisited, usually accompanied by
| the persons reporting the observation,
| with the uniformly discouraging result.
Virgin forest, unfrequented by man or
| beast, was traversed to no avail Many
hours were spent in silently watching
and listening in places where, according
| to the oldest natives and even those
| of the present generation, birds were
formerly to be met with, almost
always on even the most cas-
ual days ramble in the woods.
Its feeding grounds among the ohia, the
bananas and the lobelias were regularly
visited. The deep gloomy woods, the
bright forested ridges, the secluded
valleys were explored from end to END
of its habitat, all without seeing SC
much as single sign of the bird to
. encourage one to further effort.
Nevertheless, since the present spe
cies, as well as its cousins of kaua
and Hawaii are known to be gregariou:
and nomadic at certain seasons, it may
be that such habits account for 1T
occasional appearance, and more fire.
qnent complete disappearance in certain
sections. However that may be, of the
fact that the 90 is a rare--indeed al
exceedingly rare bird, there seems little
question. As to its being already ex
tinct, / am not yet convinced, but tina
it is very near the verge of extermina
tion, cannot longer be doubted by an,
/ one.
Phaeornis rutha, New Species.
Type specimens Male: B. P. Bishop
a Museum No 1881; Kilohana Mountain
7 Molokai; April 80, 1907; W. A. Bryan
z Female: B. P. Bishop Museum No. 1852
e Puualu Mountain, Mookai; April %
$ 1907; W. A. Bryan. Immature Male
: B. p. Bishop Museum No. 1928; Hala
e wa, Molokai; May 25, 1907; w. A
r Bryan.
tt Habitat. Forest area of the islam
2 of Mookai only.
g Specific Characters. Similar to la
j naiensis but with the throat and breas
r much grayer; abdomen and under tai
! coverts whittier; back darker olive
u brown; size uniformly a trife larger
bill averaging longer and slight
s broader.
|, Diagnostic Characters Uniform i
a color; above brown or hair-brown wit
S an olive wash; with no eonspicuou
s markings on the outer tail feathers
e size larger, length Tin the fesh) So
$ $40, wing 3.67-3.S0, tail 3.10-3.25; darl
r er above in adult and immature, an
e without any rusty gray east on tn
n crown and mantle. Grayer on th
d throat and breast.
/ Description of Type. Adult Male
Above inconspicuous dull brown wit
dusky olive tinge; head darker colore
y than the mantle. The grayish wash G
d lanaiensis over the head and rum
r, wanting even in moulting birds. Outt
n webs of the inner primaries and mo:
sr of the secondaries with blackish pate
g at their bases, which is bordered befol
lie with a rusty brown patch; center ia
A feathers like the back; outer pair pale
II on their outer webs on the basal pc
N ton, but not conspicuously so. Lor'
o, blackish and gray, grayest on Il
or breast and palest on the throat; sid
a of the body like the breast Flanl
lg and thighs rusty olive. Center of Il
Of abdomen clear white; under tail co
m erts ranging from pale buffy cream
1t white; bill black, iris brown; feet al
or tarsus dark brown; soles pale yello
he in life Length S.25 (S.3D $40, vii
ye 3.67 (3.73) $50, tail $40 (3.1O-3.2
m tarsus 1.22, toe LOO, culmen r..
ed Adult Fema,e: Similar to the male
ey color. Length $40, wing $40 (3.72
3.75, tail 800 5000 -3.12, culmen 40.
lg Immature Male: Similar to youl
IS lanaiensis, but much darker and lie
rusty olive over the back; under par
tn uniformly grayer; wings and tail longt
oe Length 500. wing $50 (3.69)-3.I5, tt
8; sos (3.1D-315, culmen =
Z; When studying the material prepar
.; tory to Writing my Key to the Haw'
.; ian Birds, in 1899, l was convinc
that the Molokai form would prove d
tn tinet from the Lanai form. Since til
oe as the Museum s series of specIme
| %