As Minerva aniiqua represents a specialized type of owl from the 

 Bridger formation it seems more logical at present to describe the 

 present species, also a peculiar form from the same deposits, in the 

 genus Minerva than to erect for it a new genus. With further ma- 

 terial the two may be found widely and trenchantly separated. 

 For the present, Minerva saurodosis is to be distinguished from M. 

 antiqua by its much smaller size. Strangely enough M. saurodosis 

 as represented by this broken humerus has little resemblance to 

 Tyto, a possible indication of the archaic origin of the Barn Owl, 

 while to go farther afield it shows little to suggest any of the Goat- 

 suckers or the Oil-bird (Steatornis) . In other than generalized group 

 resemblances there is in fact slight connection evident between it 

 and any of the other Coraciiform suborders. There are certain 

 resemblances to the Anisodactylae (Kingfishers, Todies, Motmots, 

 etc.), as well as to the superfamily Galbuloidae of the Picariae, 

 containing the Jacamars and Puff-birds, but these similarities are 

 not close. 



(458) 



