THE PLANT WORLD 265 



dish with subapical black band. These pigeons have a mournful note. 

 They nest in trees and are fond of fruits of various kinds, especially of 

 ink-berries and lemoncitos. One pair of them frequent an ilang-ilang 

 tree in the palace garden and feed upon its fruit. They have a nest in a 

 ceiba tree in the midst of the city. 



Excalfactoria sinensis. Chinese Pigmy Quail. 



Vernacular name, Bingbing, or Bengbeng. — A beautifully marked 

 little bird, introduced upon this island from the Philippines, and now 

 very abundant. Their eggs are remarkably large for so small a bird and 

 are of a brown color. The native name has been given it in consequence 

 of the loud whirring noise it makes in flying. 



Megapodius laperousi. Laperouse's Megapod. 



Vernacular name, Sassengat. — The occurrence of this bird in the Mar- 

 iannes is interesting. It is closely allied to the Australia mound-builders. 

 I do not believe it occurs in Guam itself, but it is common on several of 

 the northern islands of this group, especially on Tinian. The natives 

 attract it to them by knocking stones together. The Spaniards call it 

 Polio del monte. This species is also found in the Pelew Islands. It 

 is thought by some authorities that the megapods were introduced into 

 the Pacific Islands through the agency of man.* 



Hypotaenidia owstoni. Marianne Rail. 



Vernacular name, Koko. — A bird closely resembling the Philippine 

 rail, and the Samoan Ve'a. It is of an olive-brown color above and barred 

 with black and white on the lower part of the body and the breast. Its 

 compressed body and long toes enable it to run swiftly through the high grass 

 of the marshes which it frequents. It may be heard frequently uttering 

 its sharp note from among the reeds of the cienaga near Agaiia, though 

 it is seldom seen. The natives catch it by laying snares in its paths. 

 The native name has evidently been given it in imitation of its staccato 

 note. It is good to eat. 



Gallinula chloropus. Gallinule. Moor-hen. 



Vernacular name, Puldtal, or Piildtat. — This is also a marsh-frequent- 

 ing bird and is very good to eat. It is easily distinguished by a scarlet 

 shield extending from the beak over the forehead. It is of a dark-bluish 

 slate color with olive-brown mantle, wing coverts and tail coverts. Its 

 legs are lemon-yellow with a scarlet garter above the knee. It has a few 

 white stripes on the flanks, and the lower tail coverts are pure white. 

 Like the Koko the Pulatal, though frequenting the neighborhood of vil- 

 lages, is very shy. It takes wing with difficulty and when pursued 

 usually runs for the nearest marsh ; but when once on the wing it is 

 capable of sustained flight. It is most active at night. This species is 

 widely spread over the world. It is like the Manu-a-lii of the Samoans. 



Poliolimnas cinereus. Gray Rail. 



Vernacular name, Kokd dikiki. — Smaller than the Marianne Rail. 

 The name applied to it by the Japanese collectors, '' kalan galle," is 

 evidently a native descriptive term, signifying "like a cock." It is 

 caught by snares laid in its paths in the high grass and reeds. It is of a 



•Rutland, " History of the Pacific," in Trans. New Zeal. Inst. 29: 29. 1896. 



