Laysan Rail ( Porzanula palmeri ) 
Current Status : Extinct. 
c 
The species was recorded from Lisianski in late March 1828. Herr C. 
Isenbeck, who visited that island and Laysan on the Russian vessel, Moller , 
reported to Kittlitz (op. cit.) "a kind of fowl, about as large as a ptarmigan; 
mixed grey and hrown; running on the ground, singly, but at the same time 
rather numerous, on Moller [Laysan] and Lisiansky; very rapid and rather shy. 
Eggs Were not found. tf 
In March 1913 the scientific party of A. M. Bailey, G. Willett, W. S. 
Wallace, and D. E. Fullaway which had camped on Laysan since December 1912 
captured about 100 Laysan Rails on that island for subsequent introduction 
to Lisianski Island and Midway Atoll (Bailey, 1956). Forty-five of these 
birds were released on Lisianski on 12 March 1913 (nog of the Revenue Cutter 
tt 
Thetis for 12 March 1913)* Munter (op. cit . ) saw several rails on Lisianski 
\ 
in March 1915- The birds were "bold and fearless; also very inquisitive 
and voracious." He saw one eating a tern ! s egg, ignoring the parent bird. 
The species was not noted on Lisianski by Wetmore (unpub. notes, 1923) in 
May 1923, and has never been seen by the POBSP. ’The colony introduced on 
Eastern Island, Midway Atoll became extinct in 19^-3 (Baldwin, 19^-7)• 
Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica ) 
Current Status : Regular migrant. 
Prior Records : Two shore birds were reported for the island by Isenbeck in 
#' * 
March 1828 (Kittlitz, erg. cit.). One, described as a "snipe," was observed 
in flocks on Lisianski, and is perhaps this species. A few plovers were 
observed by Palmer in June 1891 (Rothschild, op. cit.)* Wetmore (unpub. 
notes, I 925 ) saw a flock of a dozen and; a few solitary birds in May 1923* 
