VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY IN 191 1 565 



Steno. " It is probable that the earlier ancestral forms of the 

 Delphinidce were allied to Squalodon and that the families 

 Delphinidce and Squalodontidce are offshoots from a common 

 stem, though, from the little that is known of the vertebral 

 column and limbs of the squalodonts, the hypothesis still appears 

 tenable that the Delphinidce originated from a stock distinct from 

 the former but having somewhat similar tuberculate teeth." 



The shark-toothed dolphins (Squalodontidce) and primitive 

 whales (Zeuglodontidce) of Australia and New Zealand form the 

 subject of an article by Dr. T. S. Hall in the Proceedings of the 

 Royal Society of Victoria. It is there shown that the southern 

 representatives of these groups differ from their northern 

 relatives by the fuller union of the roots of the cheek-teeth. 

 Hector's genus Kekenodon is stated to differ from the rest by 

 the great size of the roots of these teeth. 



The discovery of a new specimen of Squalodon ehrlichti in the 

 Linzer sands is recorded by Dr. A. Konig in the Jahrsbevicht Mus. 

 Franc-Carol., Ling, vol. lxix. pp. 109-21, and illustrated by a plate. 



New forms of the South American glyptodont genus Hoplo- 

 phorus are described by Mr. Richter in the Palceontographica, 

 vol. lvii. pp. 257-83. 



As usual, work relating to fossil birds has been of limited 

 extent. Mr. L. H. Miller has, however, contributed two papers 

 on bird-remains from the superficial deposits of California, 

 published in the Geological Bulletin of California University. 

 The first of these (vol. vi. pp. 305-15) deals with remains of 

 eagles from the well-known asphalt deposits of Rancho la Brea, 

 near Los Angeles ; a noticeable feature being that all the species 

 are identified by means of the shank-bone (tarso-metatarsus). 

 The species represented include the golden eagle, the white- 

 headed sea-eagle and extinct forms of the modern South 

 American crested eagle (Morphnus) and Chilian sea-eagle 

 (Geranoaetus). 



In describing the specimens the author notes that while the 

 shank-bone of the South American harpy eagle (Thrasaetus) 

 recalls a gigantic sea-eagle (Haliaetus), the corresponding bone 

 in the other two genera is more like that of a typical eagle 

 (Aquila), only of a much more elongate type. 



In the second communication (op. cit. pp. 385-400) Mr. Miller 

 describes a large series of bird-remains from Californian caves, 

 some of these belonging to living and others to extinct types. 



