Gallus gallus(Linnaeus)

Oriolus lineatusScopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., fasc. 2, 1786, p. 87. (Type locality, Luzon,exSonnerat.)

Excalfactoria sinensisHartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 61 (Guam); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 37 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 68 (Guam);idem, Amer. Anthro., 4, 1902, p. 711 (Guam);idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam);idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 78 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Nelson, Proc. 1st Pan-Pacific Sci. Conf., 1921, p. 273 (Guam).

Excalfactoria chinensis lineataWetmore, in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 176 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 41 (Guam); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 20 (Marianne); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 198 (Guam); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 96 (Guam); Bryan, Guam. Rec., vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 223 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Guam).

Excalfactoria chinensisStrophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 536 (Guam).

Coturnix chinensis lineataBaker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 47 (Guam).

Geographic range.—Philippines and parts of Malaysia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam (introduced).

Characters.—Adult: A small quail with upper parts brown splotched with black and streaked with buff; males with face and throat black surrounded by white line, upper breast blue gray, lower breast, belly and under tail-coverts and tail near "burnt sienna"; females lighter than males, underparts pale brown, mottled with blackish on breast and sides of body; bill dark lead colored, feet yellow.

Measurements.—Three adult males from Guam measure: wing, 66, 67, 67; culmen, 9.2, 10.0, 10.3; tarsus, 18.1, 18.7, 22.6.

Weights.—Two adult males taken by NAMRU2 at Guam weigh 34.5 and 35.5 grams.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 3 males from Mariana Islands, USNM—Guam (Feb. 24, June 13, 28).

Remarks.—Seale (1901:37) writes that the Painted Quail was introduced to Guam from Manila, or the island of Luzon in the Philippine Islands, by Captain Pedro Duarty of the Spanish Army in 1894. It was a successful introduction; the bird is well adapted to the grasslands, open hillsides, and fallow rice paddies. The bird appears to offer no serious competition to native species, because there are few native birds which depend largely on this habitat. The NAMRU2 party obtained specimens at Mt. Santa Rosa and near Agat; others were seen as singles or pairs near Umatac and on MountTenjo. Strophlet (1946:536) observed the birds in the southern part of Guam in 1945. He found them as singles or pairs in the months of September, October and November. Wilfred Crabb reported a covey of seven birds in June, 1945. Two males taken in June had enlarged testes. Seale (1901:37) obtained a nest of seven eggs.

Phasianus GallusLinnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 158. (Type locality, "India orientali, Pouli condor etc.," restricted to Pulo Condor, off mouths of the Mekong.)

Phasianus GallusKittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 284 (Ualan = Kusaie).

Gallus bankivaHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 103 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 29 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 281, 298, 353 (Ponapé, Mortlock, Ruk); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 59 (Pelew, Caroline, Marianne, Marshall); Oustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 25 (Saypan, Palaos, Marshall); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 61 (Saipan); Seale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 38 (Marianas); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 70 (Marianas).

Gallus ferrugineusFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 780 (Ponapé);idem, Ibis, 1881, p. 114 (Ponapé, Kushai).

Gallus gallus bankivaKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 41 (Saipan, Pelew, Ponapé, Marshall).

Gallus gallusMathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 21 (Micronesia); Cram, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 140, 1927, pp. 238, 328 (Guam); Bequaert, Mushi, 12, 1939, p. 81 (Kusaie);idem, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 16, 1941, p. 266 (Kusaie); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, pp. 57, 286 (Marianas, Carolines, Palaus); Wharton and Hardcastle, Journ. Parasitology, 32, 1946, pp. 294, 310 (Ulithi, Garakayo); Stott, Auk, 1947, p. 525 (Saipan).

Gallus gallus domesticusHand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 198 (Marianas, Palaus, Carolines, Marshalls).

Gallus gallus micronesiaeHachisuka, Tori, 10, 1939 (1940), p. 600 (Type locality, Truk, also from Pelew, Rota, Yap, Ponapé); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 222 (Saipan, Rota, Babelthuap, Koror, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Ponapé, Kusaie, Marshalls).

Gallus gallus gallusBaker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 47 (Peleliu, Ngabad, Garakayo, Ulithi, Truk).

Geographic range.—Southeastern Asia and Malaysia; introduced into many islands of Oceana. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Saipan, Rota; Palau Islands—Kayangel, Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Peleliu, Ngabad, Angaur; Caroline Islands—Ulithi, Yap, Truk, Lukunor, Ponapé, Kusaie; Marshall Islands—exact locality not known.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 3 (1 male, 2 females) as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Garakayo, 1 (Sept. 19)—Peleliu, 1 (Sept. 13)—Ngabad, 1 (Sept. 11).

Parasites.—Cram (1927:238, 328) found the round worms (Nematoda),Dispharnyx nasutaandOxyspirura mansoniin birds from Guam. Bequaert (1939:81 and 1941:266) found the fly (Hippoboscidae)Ornithoctona plicata, on fowl from Kusaie. Wharton and Hardcastle (1946:294, 310) obtained the chiggers (Acarina),Neoschöngastia yeomansiandN. ewingifrom fowl at Ulithi and Garakayo.

Remarks.—The Red Jungle Fowl has been introduced in Micronesia,as it has been in other parts of Oceania. It is found on many of the islands of Micronesia, including the volcanic islands and the atolls. The NAMRU2 party did not find feral fowl at Guam but found the wary birds at Ulithi and in the Palaus. The birds at Ulithi were small and of a mixed breed. At Palau some fine examples of typical jungle fowl were observed. Coultas obtained similar specimens at Ponapé and Kusaie. The natives have apparently allowed these birds to go wild, but catch them for food. These wild stocks may represent the earlier "liberations" while domestic fowl kept by natives at present appear to include several other breeds probably obtained from Europeans.

The committee that prepared the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisukaet al., 1942:222) points out that although many ornithologists believe the Red Jungle Fowl to be introduced in Micronesia and other parts of Oceania, it is their opinion (based on a series of more than 100 skins before them) that the population in Micronesia is racially distinct. They further comment, as did Hachisuka (1939b:600), that one may find hybrids between these birds and the domestic fowl belonging to the native peoples; this is commonly seen on the more populated islands such as Koror and Saipan. I have no doubt that these skins show distinct features; nevertheless, I am reluctant to recognize these by subspecific name, since the birds may be a mixture of domestic strains introduced by man at different times after the jungle fowl was first brought by the early Micronesians. It seems that the production of hybrids between the feral and domestic fowl, which we find there today, may have been going on ever since the European colonists arrived with their fancy breeds of chickens.

Phasianus colchicusLinnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 158. (Type locality, Africa, Asia = Rion.)

Phasianus torquatusBaker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 47 (Guam).

Geographic range.—Eastern China and northeastern Tonkin. Widely introduced into North America, Europe, and New Zealand. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam (introduced).

Remarks.—On July 4, 1945, fifty-seven Ring-necked Pheasants (sixteen cocks and forty-one hens) were liberated at Guam by personnel of the U. S. Navy. The birds were eleven weeks old when released, having been brought by plane from the hatcheries of the State Division of Game and Fish in California. Twenty-four birds were liberated at the site of CincPoa headquarters near Mt. Tenjo.Thirty-three were placed near the FEA dairy farm, approximately one and one-fourth miles west of Price School. One month after release the birds were present at the liberation sites, although there were reports that some had drifted as far away as a mile or more. The birds were not banded. This liberation has been reported on by Quinn (1946:32-33) and by the author (1946b:211 and 1948:47). In using the nameP. colchicus, I am following Delacour (in McAtee, 1945:8) and the twenty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union check-list of North American birds (Auk, 65, 1948:440).

Hypotaenidia philippensis pelewensisMayr, Amer. Mus. Novit., no. 609, 1933, p. 3. (Type locality, Palau Islands.)

Rallus philippensisHartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 37 (Palau);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877, p. 587 (Palau); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 59 (Pelew); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459, Palau).

Rallus pectoralisHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 117, 118 (Pelew);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 107 (Pelew).

Eulabeornis forsteriGray (part), Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 57 (Pelew).

Hypotaenidia philippensisSalvadori (part), Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 261 (Pelew); Sharpe (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 39 (Pelew); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Pelew).

Eulabeornis philippensis?Mathews, Birds Australia, 1, 1910-1911, p. 199 (Pelew).

Hypotaenidia philippinensis philippensisHand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Palau).

Rallus philippensis pelewensisHand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 220 (Babelthuap, Koror); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 48 (Peleliu, Garakayo).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Babelthuap, Koror, Arakabesan, Garakayo, Peleliu, Angaur.

Characters.—Adult: A large, slender rail with black crown streaked with brown; superciliary stripe ashy-gray, lighter toward bill; eye stripe brown becoming more rufous behind eye and on nape; chin ashy-gray; throat near "mouse gray" tinged with olive especially toward breast; breast, belly and sides barred with black and white, with a broad "tawny" band on breast; posterior part of belly and vent buffy with some barring; under tail-coverts barred with black, white, and buff; mantle black with feathers subterminally barred with white; back, scapulars, inner wing-coverts, and rump black with white spotting and feathers edged with olive brown; outer wing-coverts, secondaries, and primaries barred with black and rufous with some buffy-white on outer webs; under wing barred black and white with some brownish markings; tail with both bars and blotches of black, white, and buffy-rufous; maxilla horn-colored; mandible yellowish; feet light brown.

R. p. pelewensisresemblesR. p. philippensisLinnaeus of the Philippines, but is darker with nape more rufous-brown; upper parts marked with narrower and darker edgings to feathers and with pronounced whitish spotting.

ResemblesR. p. chandleri(Mathews) of Celebes, but with wing shorter; more pronounced band on breast; bird darker above and below; rump and upper tail-coverts less spotted.

Measurements.—Specimens in the collection of the United States National Museum measure as follows: four adult males—wing, 130-134 (132); tail, 59-63 (61); full culmen, 30-37 (34); tarsus, 38-45 (43); four adult females—wing, 125-130 (127); tail, 54-61 (58); full culmen, 29-35 (32); tarsus, 38-42 (40). Mayr (1933c:4) lists the following measurements: twelve adult males—127-143 (134.6); tail, 54-65 (60); exposed bill, 25-28 (27.7); tarsus, 41-46 (43.5); three adult females—wing, 129, 136, 136; tail, 56, 57, 58; exposed bill, 23, 24, 25; tarsus, 40, 41, 42.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 27 (18 males, 9 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Garakayo, 4 (Sept. 18, 19, 20)—Peleliu, 4 (Aug. 27, 28, Sept. 16)—Arakabesan, 1 (Nov. 26); AMNH—exact locality not given, 18 (Oct., Nov., Dec.).

Nesting.—The condition of the gonads in specimens obtained indicates that the breeding season is principally in the fall and winter. Of adult rails taken by Coultas in October, November and December, 1931, 6 of 12 males and 3 or 4 females had enlarged gonads. In September, 1945, the NAMRU2 party obtained two adult males with swollen testes. Marshall (1949:219) recorded breeding in September and November.

Food habits.—Stomachs of rails obtained by the NAMRU2 party contained insects, seeds and small mollusks. Coultas (field notes) notes that the birds eat snails, roots and other vegetable matter.

Remarks.—Rallus philippensisis geographically widespread, being found from Tasmania and Australia north to Malaysia and the Philippines west to Cocos Keeling Island east to Melanesia and western Polynesia and north to the Palau Islands. The species is divisible into several subspecies. The one in the Palaus, although distinctive, does not appear to have undergone a higher degree of differentiation (even though isolated as a small population) than any of the subspecies in Malaysia or Melanesia. Perhaps the form on Palau as well as the relatively undifferentiatedPoliolimnas cinereusare rather recent invaders of Micronesia, as compared withRallus owstoniandAphanolimnas monasa.

The Banded Rail is less secretive in habits thanRallus owstoniof Guam, and neither was seen to fly. At Angaur, Peleliu and Garakayo, the NAMRU2 party found the rail in areas of swamp and marsh as well as in the rocky uplands; it probably prefers the former habitats. Several rails were observed and shot in open places, but they probably prefer to remain in dense cover. Coultas found the birds at taro patches and swamps. I watched a rail feeding along an open trail on Garakayo. The bird was eating small mollusks and other items which were in the open area. Being a true skulker, the bird would make a quick dash to the feeding place, remain only afew moments, hurriedly return to the protective cover, and then repeat the process. The best means that I found of obtaining these birds was using traps baited with peanut butter and oatmeal. The traps had to be visited frequently or the ants made short work of the captured birds.

Hypotaenidia owstoniRothschild, Novit. Zool., 2, 1895, p. 481. (Type locality, Guam.)

?Rallus philippinusGray, Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 51 (Marian or Ladrone Is.).

Rallus pectoralisFinsch and Hartlaub, Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 157 (Guam).

Eulabeornis forsteriGray (part), Hand-list Birds, 3, 1871, p. 57 (Marian).

Hypotaenidia philippensisPelzeln, Ibis, 1873, p. 41 (Marianne Isl.); Salvadori (part), Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 261 (Marianas); Sharpe (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 39 (Guam).

Rallus philippinusWiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 59 (Guam).

Hypotaenidia owstoniHartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 62 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, pp. 41, 67 (Guam);idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 961 (Mariannes); Safford, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Guam); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 34, 1927, p. 22 (Guam); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 84 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Guam).

Hypotaenidia marcheiOustalet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris, (3), 8, 1896, p. 32 (Type locality, Guam).

Hypotaenidia oustiniSeale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 30 (Guam).

Rallus owstoniPeters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 166 (Guam); Bryan, Guam Rec., vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 220 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Guam);idem, Audubon Mag., 47, 1945, p. 279 (Guam); Watson, Raven, 17, 1946, p. 41 (Guam); Strophlet, Auk, 1946, p. 536 (Guam); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 48 (Guam).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam.

Characters.—Adult: A large rail with head, neck, and eye stripe near "mummy brown" with feathers on sides of neck tipped with "russet"; superciliary stripe to back of neck, throat and upper breast near "mouse gray"; mantle, back, scapulars, and some upper wing-coverts dark olive-brown becoming browner on rump and upper tail-coverts; wings dark with brownish spots and barred with white; lower breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, and tail blackish with white barrings; bill lead colored; feet dark brown; tibia brown; iris red.

Measurements.—Four adult males measure: wing, 120-123 (121); tail, 46-54 (50); full culmen, 37-43 (41); tarsus, 47-51 (50); six adult females measure: wing, 108-118 (112); tail, 38-46 (42); full culmen, 36-39 (37); tarsus, 43-47 (45).

Weights.—The NAMRU2 party obtained specimens with the following weights: two adult males 256, 257; four females 147, 153, 210, 252 grams.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 13 (5 males, 6 females, 2 unsexed), from Mariana Islands, USNM—Guam (Jan. 29, May 8, June 19, 20, 23, 28, 30, July 14, 19, 23, Sept. 8).

Nesting.—A nest was found by McElroy of the NAMRU2 party at Guam on October 24, 1945, in dense grass on a hillside near Mount Santa Rosa. The nest contained three eggs, which the author (1948:48) describes as "white with a pinkish cast and a scattering of small spots of colors near 'russet' and near 'pear blue' which are concentrated at the large ends. They measure 37.5 by 29.1, 39.1 by 28.0, and 40.7 by 29.0." Downey, black chicks were found on April 1, May 16, and May 26. M. Dale Arvey found a chick on August 2, 1946, near Tumon Bay. A parent bird with young ones was seen near Merizo on October 2. A male taken on January 26 had enlarged gonads. Seale (1901:30) obtained a black chick in June or July. On the basis of the above observations it seems that the nesting season extends from spring to fall, although Marshall (1949:219) assumes that this rail breeds the year around.

Remarks.—The Guam Rail was first reported by Quoy and Gaimard who called it "Ralê tiklin," but was not described as new until 1895 by Rothschild. It appears to be equally at home in upland grassy areas and in jungle areas. The species was not seen frequently by the NAMRU2 party, although birds were occasionally observed crossing the roads. Few birds were shot; most of the specimens were taken in rat traps, which may be the most satisfactory method of obtaining them. Coultas took his specimens with the aid of a dog. On June 19, 1945, a small patch of woodland was being removed by a bulldozer. Four rails, which were hiding in this thicket, were surrounded and three were captured by hand. These birds tried to escape over the cleared ground by running with wings flapping but made no effort to fly. I am inclined to believe, as the natives do, that these birds are virtually incapable of actual flight.

The Guam Rail usually appeared to be a quiet bird, but at Tarague Point on July 12, 1945, I heard its loud penetrating cry; it was a series of rapid screeches. At the same time rapid movement made considerable noise in the undercover. The bird making the call suddenly appeared, either rapidly chasing, or being chased by, another rail. The birds had abandoned their usual skulking habits and had little concern for the observer. I took this to be breeding behavior, comparable to that of some of the North American rails during the mating period.

The Guam Rail is probably not in serious danger of extermination. It is utilized by the natives as food; they capture the bird, using dogs and trail snares. Its skulking habits and ability to inhabit most types of cover on the island should insure its existence for a long time to come.

Evolutionary history.—Rallus owstoniis endemic to the island of Guam with no closely related forms nearby. It is one of the severalrails found in the Pacific which live on isolated islands. In comparison with other species in the region, it has some resemblance to bothR. torquatusandR. philippensis. In general, the underparts ofR. owstoniresemble those of theR. philippensisgroup, although the upper parts resemble somewhat those ofR. torquatus. Certain specimens ofR. owstonihave a slight indication of a pale pectoral band. The bill is shorter and heavier than that ofR. torquatus, possibly more like that ofR. philippensis. The short rounded wing is a distinctive character. The bird came from an ancestral stock possibly resemblingR. philippensisand probably originated in the Philippine or Papuan areas. It may have invaded Micronesia at an early date and may have had a wider distribution in the islands in former times. Perhaps this same invasion resulted in the establishment ofR. wakensis(Rothschild) at Wake. The supposed route of colonization is shown infigure 9.

Fig. 9Fig. 9.Routes of dispersal of rails in the Pacific area.

Rallus fasciatusRaffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13, pt. 2, 1822, p. 328. (Type locality, Benkulen, western Sumatra.)

Rallina fasciataHartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 831 (Pelew); Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 118 (Pelew);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 106 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 37 (Palau); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 264 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 60 (Pelew); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 75 (Pelew); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze derVogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459 (Palau); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 41 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 88 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 196 (Palau); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 171 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 287 (Palau); Delacour, Birds Malaysia, 1947, p. 77 (Palau).

Geographic range.—Burma east and south to Malaysia and the Philippines. In Micronesia: Palau—exact locality unknown.

Remarks.—The Malay Banded Crake is known in the Palau Islands from birds taken by captains Tetens, Heinsohn, and Peters and by Kubary according to Finsch (1875: 37). It has not been taken by later collectors. Two unsexed and undated skins are in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History; these are from the Kubary collection.

Gallinula eurizonoïdesLafresnaye, Rev. Zool., 1845, p. 368. (No locality; the type agrees with specimens from the Philippine Islands.)

Rallina eurizonoides eurizonoidesHand-list Japanese Birds, rev. 1932, p. 196 (Koror); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Koror).

Rallina eurizonoidessubsp. Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Palau).

Geographic range.—Philippine Islands. In Micronesia: Palau Islands—Koror.

Remarks.—This crake is apparently a straggler to western Micronesia from the Philippine area.

Rallus monasaKittlitz, Denks. Riese russ. Amer. Micron. und Kamchat., 2, 1858, p. 30. (Type locality, Kushai.)

Rallus tabuensis?Kittlitz, Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 286 (Ualan).

Ortygometra tabuensisFinsch, Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 297, 307 (Kuschai);idem, Ibis, 1881, pp. 106, 109 (Kushai); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 60 (Ualan).

Kittlitzia monasaHartlaub, Abhandl. nat. Ver. Bremen, 12, 1892, p. 391 (Kuschai); Finsch, Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 17, 1893, p. 1 (Kuschai).

Aphanolimnas monasaSharpe, Bull. British Ornith. Club, 1892, p. 20 (Kuschai); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 457, pl. 4 (Ualan); Wiglesworth, Ibis, 1893, p. 214 (Kushai); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Museum, 23, 1894, p. 115 (Kushai); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, pp. 110, 113 (Ualan); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 93 (Caroline Islands); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Kusaie); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 189 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Kusaie); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Kusaie);idem, Audubon Mag., 47, 1945, p. 280 (Kusaie).

Porzana tabuensisSharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 111 (Kushai).

Pennula monasaDubois, Syn. Avium, 2, 1904, p. 969 (Kuschai).

Porzana tabuensis tabuensisKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Kusaie).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Kusaie (probably extinct).

Characters.—Sharpe (1894:115) gives the following description: "Adult. Black with a bluish-grey reflexion; quills and tail somewhat browner; inner wing-coverts brownish with white spotting, outer edge of first primary dull brownish, chin and middle of the throat somewhat paler; bill blackish (Hartlaub.)."

Remarks.—Two specimens of this rail are known. The two were taken by Kittlitz on his visit to Kusaie in December and January of 1827-'28. Coultas made a search for the bird in 1931 and failed to obtain it; he suggested that the high population of introduced rodents may have been a factor contributing to its extinction. The bird is considered to be extinct by the authors of the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisukaet al., 1942:221).

The two known specimens are in Leningrad, and Mayr sent examples ofPorzana tabuensisthere for comparison. The following is a translation of the letter received by Mayr from Boris Stegmann dated at Leningrad, December 7, 1937.

"I have compared the two specimens ofPorzana tabuensiswith our specimens ofAphanolimnas monasa. The difference is in my opinion of generic value.Aphanolimnasis distinctly larger and more robust. The bill is not only absolutely but also relatively longer. Its length (measured from the forehead) reaches to the end of the second phalanx of the middle toe while it not nearly reaches it intabuensis. The proportions of feet and toes are the same in both, but the feet are distinctly heavier inAphanolimnas. The wings are relatively shorter inAphanolimnasand the wing feathers are very soft. The wing is also much more rounded, the first primary is about 21 mm. shorter than the wing tip. The tail consists of very soft loose feathers which resemble only distantly true tail feathers. It is therefore questionable whether this bird was at all able to fly.

"The coloration is in general dull black, brownish black on head and wings, chin and upper throat are dark slate colored lighter in the middle. The under wing and tail-coverts are marked with scattered white spots (querflecken). The first primary has an irregular whitish brown margin on the outer web. The bill is dark and the feet yellowish."

Possibly this rail represents an ancient colonization of Kusaie from an ancestral stock ofPorzanain Polynesia. Mayr (1941b:203) is also of this opinion, and if this is true there is no close relationship betweenAphanolimnasand the rails at Guam and Wake,Rallus owstoniandR. wakensis, which are probably colonizers from the Philippines or the Papuan area. Mayr (1943:46) remarks furtherthat the Hawaiian flightless rail (Peuula) is of doubtful taxonomic position, but may be related to the "Aphanolimnas-Porzanoidea-Nesophylaxstock," although there is no evidence thatPennulais not related toRallus. Supposed colonization routes are shown infigure 9.

Poliolimnas cinereus micronesiaeHachisuka, Bull. British Ornith. Club, 59, 1939, p. 151. (Type locality, Yap.)

Ortygometra quadristrigataHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 8, 118 (Pelew);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 90, 107 (Pelew, Uap).

Ortygometra cinereaFinsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 38 (Palau, Yap);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 577 (Ruk); Salvadori, Ornith. Papuasia, 3, 1882, p. 273 (Yap, Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 61 (Pelew, Yap, Ruk); Finsch, Deut. Ver. zum Schulze der Vogelwelt, 18, 1893, p. 459 (Palau).

Ortygometra cinerea = quadristrigataSchmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 353 (Ruk).

Poliolimnas cinereusSharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 23, 1894, p. 130 (Pelew, Yap, Ruk); Hartert, Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 64 (Guam);idem, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 9 (Ruk); Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 1, 1901, p. 30 (Guam); Safford, Osprey, 1902, p. 67 (Mariannes);idem, The Plant World, 7, 1904, p. 265 (Guam);idem, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 9, 1905, p. 79 (Guam); Cox, Island of Guam, 1917, p. 21 (Guam); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 42 (Guam, Pelew, Yap, Ruk).

Porzana cinereaStresemann, Novit. Zool., 21, 1914, p. 54 (Guam, Truk).

Porzana cinerea ocularisHartert, Novit. Zool., 31, 1924, p. 264 (Ruk, Guam).

Poliolimnas cinereus collingwoodiMathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 1, 1927, p. 95 (Pelew, Marianne, Carolines); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 197 (Guam, Koror, Yap, Truk); Hachisuka, Birds Philippine Islands, 1, 1932, p. 236 (Marianne, Pelew, Caroline); Peters, Check-list Birds World, 2, 1934, p. 198 (Marianne, Caroline, Pelew); Bryan, Guam Rev., vol. 13, no. 2, 1936, p. 15 (Guam); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 288 (Guam, Palau, Yap, Truk, Bikini); Delacour and Mayr, Birds Philippines, 1946, p. 64 (Micronesia); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 48 (Ulithi?, Truk).

Porzana cinerea collingwoodiRensch, Mitt. Zool., 1931, p. 468 (Marianne, Karolinen, Palau).

Poliolimnas cinereus micronesiaeYamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 679 (Bikini); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 221 (Guam, Babelthuap, Koror, Yap, Truk, Bikini).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam; Palau Islands—Koror, Babelthuap; Caroline Islands—Yap, Ulithi?, Truk; Marshall Islands—Bikini.

Characters.—Adult: A slightly built, long-legged rail with forehead and anterior crown light gray with darker, slate-colored feather shafts; color more olive-brown on occiput and nape; eyestripe dark slate extending to occiput; superciliary from bill to eye, and stripe below eye, white; chin and throat ashy-white; sides of head, neck and breast ashy-gray, lighter on breast and whitish on abdomen; sides of abdomen ashy-brown becoming more buffy on tibia and under tail-coverts; mantle olive-colored becoming lighter and more brownish on back, rump, and scapulars; wing-coverts similar in color but feathers with broad dark brown shaft-marks; wings brown, first primary with whitish outer web; under wing gray with some lighter streaks; tail dark brown, lighter on edges; bill horn colored, tan below; feet brown; iris vermillion.

Immature: Resembles adult, but head more rufous, upper parts marked with buffy rufous; eye stripe light rufous-brown; underparts tinged with rufous.

P. c. micronesiaediffers fromP. c. collingwoodiMathews of the Philippines by having more pale gray and less olivaceous-brown on the nape and shoulder; darker on the under tail-coverts; and having a shorter culmen.P. c. brevipes(Ingram) of the Volcano Islands differs fromP. c. micronesiaeby being paler on upper parts, particularly back and wing-coverts and more washed with buff below; by having a shorter, thicker culmen; and by having a shorter tarsus.

Measurements.—Measurements are shown intable 17.

Table 17. Measurements of Three Subspecies ofPoliolimnas cinereus

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