Olson and Rauzon • WAKE ISLAND RAIL 
677 
FIG. 8. Postures assumed by the Wake Island Rail (Gallirallus wakensis). Expertly detailed by Julian P. Hume from 
photographs by Torrey Lyons that were too small or indistinct for other reproduction. 
birds at that rate would lake a month’s time” 
(Spencer 1936:6). Rat poisoning appeared to have 
had no effect on the rails and the “fifteen rails 
penned during the program were liberated at the 
close of work” (Spencer 1936:7). 
Vaughn (1945:27-28) made the following 
observations on the rail in April 1938: "They 
travel around with, and even eat from the same 
dish with, the small vegetation-eating rats that 
infest the island. Long unacquainted with human 
beings and therefore unafraid, they have become 
quite friendly with our men during the three years 
the Pacific Airways have occupied the island. 
They stand by dozens on the steps of the hotel 
kitchen door, peering thru the screen at the staff 
and going crazy with delight when one of the 
Chinamore (Chaniorrol kitchen-boys (natives of 
Guam) comes out with scraps for them. They walk 
over his shoes and jump high in the air. just like 
young chickens at feeding time. During the heat 
of the day. they get under the hotel or go down 
into the rat burrows to keep cool; at night, they go 
foraging abroad with the rats.” We would guess 
that such nocturnal foraging as witnessed by 
Vaughn probably occurred mainly under artificial 
lighting, although some natural nocturnal foraging 
by rails may be assumed if they fed regularly on 
the largely nocturnal hermit crabs. 
Locomotion ,—Lady Hay Drummond-Hay 
(1939:337), famed for her adventures in Zeppe¬ 
lins. was so enchanted with Wake that she stayed 
there for 2 weeks in 1939 and noted "flightless 
rails with no air-bearing wings, which run along 
the ground, comically like a well-trained motorist 
indicating his direction right or left by extension 
of the appropriate wing.” Vaughn (1945:28) 
reported that: “They do not like to be handled 
however and when the men chase them, they 
stretch their useless stubby wings to balance 
themselves and run with the speed of a Bob- 
white [Colima virginictmts]." “Practically the 
entire life of the bird is spent on the ground, only 
occasionally do they gel up into low' trees and 
bushes by the jump-step climbing method” 
(Spencer 1959). 
Lyons (1940). in general notes without specific 
dates, observed the rails did not fly. although he 
had seen them flap their wings to aid in running 
when very frightened or when scared by a noise. 
The rails, when walking, make a succession of 
quick steps, then pause for obsenpiion. poised in 
cautious approach, a definite poised pause be- 
