Figure 4. 



While it took so long to secure the release of this one bone, 

 there was a bushel of others taken out, which were too good to 

 throw away and in truth probably as important as the one so eagerly 

 sought. 



The insect life of the beds is quite meager, consisting of only a 

 few Myriopoda and Coleoptera. In most cases only fragments remain, 

 the antennae, mouth parts, and legs having been lost. 



The only reptile represented is a turtle, of which only fragments 

 f the Carapace have been found. The animal was small, about five 

 inches long. Its specific identity remains to be determined later. Only 

 one turtle was observed living in the lake upon the ranch. 



That the birds should be represented in the fossil beds in great 

 numbers is uo surprise, for, when it is considered that during this 

 period, birds of prey were numerous, they would be attracted to the 

 remains of animals' caught. The defectiveness of the tar pools is 

 SO perfect, that birds of today are caught just as in ages past. 

 Meadow larks, herons, bitterns, hawks, etc., are caught every season in 

 great numbers. The skeletons are very incomplete, and the merest traces 

 of small passerines are found. This last fact, however, is explainable 

 on the ground of there being no attraction in the pools for them, 

 and the few that might wander here might have been devoured, or 

 have been destroyed in the motion of the tar. due to rising bubbles. 

 Their bodies being small, they would not be eaughl except in the 

 softest tar. The list of birds thus far identified includes the turkey 

 vulture, golden eagle, western black vulture, California condor, raven, 

 red tailed hawk, marsh hawk, barn owl, long eared owl. short eared 

 owl. great horned owl. burrowing owl, Canada goose, great blue heron, 



