308 
Messrs. C. D. Sherborn and T. Iredale on [Ibis, 
not definitely ascertained. Thus J. B. Forster described a 
black bird, but noted there was a brown variant. His son 
painted the Black Bail from “ Taheitee,” and this painting is 
preserved in the British Museum (Natural History), No. 130, 
with the native name “ Maho ” pencilled on it. This drawing 
was copied and published with little alteration by Miller 
under the name Rallus nigra. Forster’s MS. name was 
Rallus minutus, and his localities were “ Otalieitee et in 
Tonga-Tabu.” Latham’s descriptions were incorporated by 
Gmelin, who introduced Latin names, and this was called 
Rallus tabuensis, though Latham did not appear to have 
had specimens from Tongatabu. It is probable that the 
Tahitian Bail is distinct from the Tongatabu species, 
especially as a black Bail is known from Henderson Island, 
viz. P. atra North ( = murrayi 0.-Grant). However, it is 
impossible to continue the name Limnoeorax niger (Gmelin) 
for the African Black Bail, and the choice seems to be 
between Rallus carinatus Swainson and Gallinula flavirostra 
Swainson, the latter introduced as the former was inapplic¬ 
able and also indeterminate. Thence it would be that the 
African Bail would be called Limnoeorax flavirostra (Swain¬ 
son), but subspecies may be determinable. 
Pennula ecaudata (King). 
Why this name was ever accepted is one of the puzzles 
provided for the present generation by the previous one of 
British ornithologists. The identification of “a rail, with 
very short wings and no tail, which on that account, we 
named rallus ecaudotus (sic),” is surely impossible, and for¬ 
tunately the publication of Miller’s plate under the same 
name negatives any further discussion. Miller’s Rallus 
ecaudata was from Otaheita, and proves to be an absolute 
copy of G. Forster’s painting No. 127, which has been 
continually accepted as referable to the u Otaheitean ” form 
of the Philippine Bail. What the name of the Sandwich 
Island Pennula is, appears again puzzling, as various students 
have arrived at different results, but probably Bothschild’s 
usage of Pennula millsi with the other species Pennula 
sandwichensis is the best. 
