330 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.8* 



Wing, 128.5-141 (134.7); tail, 54-62 (57.5); exposed culmen, 52-60.5 

 (55.3); tarsus, 42-50 (46.9); middle toe without claw, 38.5-45 (43.2). 



Type locality. — An island off the southern shore of Andros Island, 

 Bahama Islands. 



Geographic distribution. — Permanent resident in the central and 

 northern Bahama Islands, north to Abaco Island and Berry Islands; 

 west to Andros Island and the keys nearb}^; south to Ragged Island; 

 and east to Watling Island, New Providence Island, and Eleuthera 

 Island. 



Remarks. — The Bahama clapper rail differs from Rallus longirostris 

 longirostris in somewhat longer wing and bill, slenderer bill, and much 

 paler coloration throughout. Birds from the various islands of the 

 Bahama group, so far as our material goes, apparent^ exhibit no 

 geographic differences. There are, furthermore, no well-marked color 

 phases in this subspecies. 



This rail was originally described by C J. I^Iaynard in a little- 

 known publication, along with other new birds from the Bahama 

 Islands. His original description called the bird Rallus Corrius,-^ but 

 there is no evidence in this original place of description that the spell- 

 ing of the specific name was a typographical error. At a later date, 

 however, in the same journal Mr. Maj'nard republished this descrip- 

 tion and there called the bird Rallus Coryi,-^ evidentl}- intending this 

 name to replace Rallus Corrius, although he did not so state. Current 

 rules of zoological nom.enclature permit no change in the original 

 spelling of technical specific names, aside from the change in termina- 

 tion necessary to make specific and subspecific names agree m gender 

 with their generic nam.es, and also cases in which a typographical 

 error is obvious in the original pubhcation. The word "Corrius" 

 could easily have been formed as an adjective from Mr. Cory's name; 

 so that under the circumstances it seems more logical to use this form 

 rather than the emendation later proposed. 



The writer has examined specimens from the following localities: 



Bahama Islands: Key south of Andros Island (x\pril 29, 1884) ^5; 

 South Andros Island (May 22, 1904, June 14, 1904); Southern Ragged 

 Island (April 6, 1907); Berry Islands (April 7 and 8, 1891); Marsh 

 Harbor, Abaco Island (July 6, 1904); Staniard Creek, Andros Island 

 (April 15, 1909); New Providence Island (June 24, 1903); Watling 

 Island (March 17, 18, 22, and 27, 1909; and August 17, 1923); Lake 

 Isabella, Watling Island (March 23, 1909). 



» Amer. Exchange and Mart, vol. 3, no. 3, p. 33, col. 2, Jan. 15, 1S87. 

 » Amer. Exchange and Mart, vol. 3, no. 6, p. 69, col. 3, Feb. 5, 1&87. 

 «Type. 



