OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : DECEMBER 10, 1862. 89 



elusion to which the best specimens would naturally lead. But recent 

 examinations have led to the conviction that one phalanx too many 

 has been assigned to the outer toe. If any one will look at the outline 

 sketches of the fourteen species of thick-toed birds, as they are called, 

 given in the Ichnology, — or, better still, if he will look at the speci- 

 mens in the cabinet, from which these were copied, — he will see that 

 the hindmost phalanx of the outer toe lies entirely farther back, or 

 nearly so, than the first phalanx of either of the other toes, so far as 

 the author had been able to ascertain since this subject had arrested 

 his attention. This is not the case in livins: animals ; but in birds 

 especially, the first phalanx of the outer toe is abreast of that in the 

 inner toe, though in the middle toe it is usually a little in advance of 

 the others. Hence, what has been regarded as the imprint of the first 

 phalanx of the outer toe was probably made by a heel-bone ; and in- 

 deed in some cases this impression differs somewhat from the others. 

 Hence the true number of phalanges in these fossil animals was three 

 in the inner toe, and four in both the other toes. The author did not 

 feel entirely satisfied" that this conclusion would stand ; but he had be- 

 come more and more convinced of its truth, the more he examined the 

 subject. "Want of access to large collections of living animals and 

 ill health had embarrassed his investigations. 



Do the Protuberances on the under side of the toes correspond to the 

 number of Phalanges, or to that of the articulations, or to neither'? 



These questions sprung up during this investigation, and have led 

 to some examination. Plaster moulds of the feet of a few birds 

 have been taken, which were exhibited, whose characters are as fol- 

 lows. 



The protuberances on the foot of the turkey, both wild and domestic, 

 correspond neither with the phalanges nor the articulations. They 

 are more numerous than either, and very unequal as to size and depth. 

 As many as six or seven can be counted. Those of the domestic 

 hen are very similar. 



In the Botanies lentiginosiis they correspond to the articulations, — 

 certainly so on the dried specimen from which the mould was taken. 



The wings on the toes of the Coot expand along the phalanges, and 

 contract at the joints. The expansions in the Crow's foot correspond 

 to the articulations, as is learnt from some impressions on clay from 

 the banks of Connecticut River. 



10* 



