▁or ▁white ▁gall in ule , ▁is ▁an ▁ext inct ▁species ▁of ▁rail ▁which ▁lived ▁on ▁Lord ▁How e ▁Island , ▁east ▁of ▁Australia . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁encountered ▁when ▁the ▁cre ws ▁of ▁British ▁ships ▁visited ▁the ▁island ▁between ▁ 1 7 8 8 ▁and ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁and ▁all ▁contemporary ▁accounts ▁and ▁illustr ations ▁were ▁produced ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁Today , ▁two ▁spec im ens ▁exist : ▁the ▁hol ot ype ▁in ▁the ▁Natural ▁History ▁Museum ▁of ▁Vienna , ▁and ▁another ▁in ▁Liverpool ' s ▁World ▁Museum . ▁Although ▁historical ▁confusion ▁has ▁existed ▁about ▁the ▁proven ance ▁of ▁the ▁spec im ens ▁and ▁the ▁classification ▁and ▁an atom y ▁of ▁the ▁bird , ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁distinct ▁species ▁en demic ▁to ▁Lord ▁How e ▁Island ▁and ▁most ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁Austral as ian ▁sw am phen . ▁ ▁The ▁Lord ▁How e ▁sw am phen ▁was ▁ 3 6   cm ▁( 1 4   in ) ▁to ▁ 5 5   cm ▁( 2 2   in ) ▁long . ▁Both ▁known ▁sk ins ▁have ▁mainly - white ▁pl um age , ▁although ▁the ▁Liverpool ▁spec imen ▁also ▁has ▁dispers ed ▁blue ▁fe athers . ▁This ▁is ▁unlike ▁other ▁sw am ph ens , ▁but ▁contemporary ▁accounts ▁indicate ▁birds ▁with ▁all - white , ▁all - blue , ▁and ▁mixed ▁blue - and - white ▁pl um age . ▁The ▁ch icks ▁were ▁black , ▁becoming ▁blue ▁and ▁then ▁white ▁as