Part 16 (1/2)

CIRIDOPS WILSON.

_Ciridops_ Wilson, Nature 1892, p. 469.

Though formerly supposed to belong to the _Fringillidae_, it is now generally acknowledged to belong to the family _Drepanidae_, a peculiar family of different forms restricted in its distribution to the Hawaiian Islands. The genus _Ciridops_ seems to stand nearest to _Loxops_, from which, however, it is easily distinguished by the form of the bill, the pattern of colouration, stronger feet, and the structure of its plumage, which is somewhat stiff and scanty, while it is soft and rich in _Loxops_.

The feathers of the crown and throat are pointed.

We only know one species belonging to this genus.

CIRIDOPS ANNA (DOLE).

(PLATE 4, FIG. 4.)

_Fringilla anna_ Dole, Hawaiian Almanac 1879, p. 49 (Hawaii); reprint in Ibis 1880.

_Ciridops anna_ Wilson & Evans, Aves Hawaienses, Part IV, text and plate; Rothschild, Avifauna of Laysan, p. 183.

The ”Ulaaihawane” of the natives of Hawaii is one of the rarest birds known, only three specimens being on record--one, the type, in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and two in my collection. One of these was brought home by Mr. Scott Wilson, who obtained it from Mr. Bishop in Honolulu, the other was shot by a native for my former collector, Mr.

Palmer. No other examples have been obtained. As there are still a good many hawane palms in elevated districts of Hawaii, there is, of course, a possibility that a few examples still exist there; but to all intents and purposes _Ciridops anna_ may be looked upon as extinct.

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SIPHONORHIS SCL.

_Siphonorhis_ Sclater, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 77. Type: _Caprimulgus america.n.u.s_ L.

”The bill is extremely broad at base, the tip strong and heavily decurved; nostrils tubular and very prominent; rictal bristles strongly developed.

Wing pointed, third primary longest; tail rounded, almost graduated. Tarsi long and naked. The s.e.xes differ slightly in coloration. (Hartert.)”

SIPHONORHIS AMERICa.n.u.s (L.)

(PLATE 5A.)

_Small Wood-Owle_ Sloane, Voy. Jamaica II, p. 296, pl. 255, fig. 1 (1725).

_Caprimulgus america.n.u.s_ Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, p. 193 (1758--Ex Sloane. ”Habitat in America calidiore”).

_Chordeiles america.n.u.s_ Bonaparte, Consp. Av. I, p. 63 (1850).

_Siphonorhis america.n.u.s_ Sclater, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 77; id. P.Z.S. 1866, p. 144; Cory, B. W. Indies, p. 139 (1889); Hartert, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.

XVI, p. 592 (1892).

The whole diagnosis of Linnaeus is ”Caprimulgus narium tubulis eminentibus,” but the prominent tubular nostrils are just the character which distinguishes _S. america.n.u.s_ most strikingly from all the other goatsuckers, and I think that Sloane's figure and description are sufficient to indicate this bird. Sloane says as follows:--

”This was seven Inches from the end of the Bill to that of the Tail, and ten from the end of Wing to Wing expanded, it had a quarter of an Inch long crooked black bill, with two _Tubuli_ about one eight Part of an Inch long for the Nostrills, along the upper Mandible were several bristly Hairs in a Line, like those of a Cat's Mustachoes of a black Colour, the _Aperture_ of Chaps or Swallow was extraordinary large. The Feathers on the Head and under the Chaps were many, the Tail was four Inches long, the Head and Back were cover'd with Feathers of a mixt Colour of _Feuille Morte_, grey and black, the Wings and Tail were of the same Colour only Lighter under the Chaps, Breast and Belly was also of the same, the Legs and Feet were an Inch and half cover'd with brown Scales, the Toes four, three before, that in the middle three-quarters of an Inch long, and one behind. {44}