Cinnyrorhyncha longirostra Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 43, 1931 [printed date, Oct. 15, 1931, but mailing date for extra-Japanese recipients, Nov. 23, 1931, ex Mayr, 1944b:8], p. 599. (Type locality, Ponapé); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 172 (Ponapé); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 191 (Ponapé).
Cinnyrorhyncha longirostris Mathews, Ibis, 1933, p. 94 (Ponapé).
Rhamphozosterops sanfordi Mayr, Proc. 6th Pacific Sci. Congr., 4, 1941, p. 204 (Ponapé).
Rukia sanfordi Mayr, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 1269, 1944, p. 7 (Ponapé); idem, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 301 (Ponapé).
Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Ponapé.
Characters.—Adult: upper parts buffy-olive, head greenish, rump and upper tail-coverts buffy-brown; wing and tail feathers dark brown, outer edges yellowish-olive; underparts grayish-buff, chin and throat faintly washed with greenish-yellow; under tail-coverts darker; bill long, curved and brownish-black, base of mandible paler; feet yellowish; iris chestnut. R. sanfordi is distinguished from other species of Rukia by its smaller size, its paler coloration and its longer and more curved bill.
Measurements.—Measurements are listed in [table 52].
Specimens examined.—Total number, 18 (12 males, 6 females), from Caroline Islands, AMNH—Ponapé (Nov., Dec.).
Remarks.—Coultas obtained this white-eye at Ponapé in 1931; he writes (field notes) that it is "a very rare bird on Ponapé. I found them at one tree, a sort of a gum-tree, at about 2,000 feet, where they were collecting from the flowers of the tree. I was attracted by their deep-throated sibilation that is uttered while feeding. They were not in the least disturbed by the noise of the gun and remained long enough for me to collect a substantial series. One old man, who lives not far from the tree, was the only one I could find who knew the bird." Six males and one female taken in December had swollen gonads. Richards found this bird to be rare at Ponapé in 1947-1948. He writes (field notes) that the bird was seen twice (he obtained one male), once in deep forest at about 700 feet and once at the summit of Jokaj at 900 feet. He observed a group of three birds "wildly and loudly chasing one another from tree to tree." The male obtained had yellowish sap adhering to its bill.