_Gallinula orientalis_ Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 13,
1821, p. 195. (Type locality, Java.)
_Gallinula chloropus indicus_ Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev.,
1932, p. 197 (Babelthuap); Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu.
Zasshi, 44, 1932, p. 266 (Pelew, Coror).
_Gallinula chloropus indica_ Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed.,
1942, p. 221 (Babelthuap).
_Gallinula chloropus_ subsp. Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol.
107, no. 15, 1948, p. 49 (Peleliu, Angaur).
_Geographic range._--Malaysia from southern Malay Peninsula to
Celebes. In Micronesia: Palau Islands--Babelthuap, Koror, Peleliu,
Angaur.
_Characters._--Adult: Resembles _G. c. indica_ Blyth, _G. c.
lozanoi_ Lletget and _G. c. guami_ Hartert, but smaller and paler;
upper wing-coverts less olivaceous-brown and more slate-colored;
back, rump, and scapulars less richly washed with
olivaceous-brown. Resembles _G. c. orientalis_ from Java in size,
but much paler.
_Measurements._--An unsexed adult bird from Angaur measures: wing,
150; bill from rictes, 27.1; bill from nostril, 13.4; tarsus, 46.
_Specimens examined._--Total number, 3 (2 males, 1 unsexed) from
Palau Islands, USNM--Angaur (Sept. 21).
_Remarks._--Owing to the lack of sufficient material, I am unable to
determine the exact status of the resident gallinule in the Palau
Islands. On the basis of a single, unsexed adult and two immatures there
is not very much that can be said. The adult is smaller and paler than
_G. c. indica_, _G. c. lozonoi_, and _G. c. guami_. It resembles
specimens of the subspecies _G. c. orientalis_ in size but is also paler
than the skins of this race which I have examined. It seems closest to
this latter subspecies to which I tentatively refer it. If it is closest
to this subspecies, it probably reached Palau from the Celebean region,
rather than from the Philippines or some other route. Whether specimens
taken by the Japanese at Babelthuap and Koror are _G. c. indica_ is
questionable, unless the skins were from migrants which may visit Palau
from the west or northwest. The Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisuka
_et al._, 1942:177) records _G. c. indica_ from the Bonin Islands.
The three Gallinules were taken by the NAMRU2 party at fresh and
brackish water swamps at Angaur on September 21, 1945. Several
Gallinules were seen in the area and several were observed also at
Peleliu Island. One of the immatures was just growing its wing feathers,
indicating that the birds must breed in the Palau Islands.
=Gallinula chloropus guami= Hartert