176 



[December, 1S44. 



described Ornithichnites, or stony bird-tracks, but afterwards changed the 

 name to Ornithoidichnites, or tracks resembling those of birds. I am unable 

 to perceive the propriety of this change, inasmuch as it is universally con- 

 ceded that the tracks were made by birds. I trust, therefore, I shall be 

 pardoned for making use of the original, and, in my view, more correct and 

 appropriate term, Ornithichnites. 



The first track which I shall describe is one evidently m^de by a bird, 

 referable to the order Grallae, and allied to our Gallinules. I shall therefore 

 call it the 



No. 1.* Ornithichnites gallinuloides. — Toes 

 4 , three before, pointing forwards, almost entirely 

 separate, leptodactylous ; middle toe much the 

 longest ; spread of lateral toes 95°; hind toe point- 

 ing directly backwards (on one foot slight inclina- 

 tion inwards) on the same plane with the front 

 ones ; all the toes have long and pointed claws ; 

 length of the foot about nine inches ; length of 

 the step not easily determined, as it seemed to 

 vary from two to fifteen or eighteen inches. 



No. 2. Ornithichnites Culbertsonii. I have named 

 this impression after my friend Alexander Culbertson, 

 Esq. , a gentleman of acute and penetrating mind, an ac- 

 curate and original observer of all subjects pertaining 

 to either morals or physics, and who had the kindness 

 first to direct my attention to these singular bird tracks. 

 The toes are 4, and much resemble the preceding, but 

 the hind toe is longer ; the front ones spread at an angle 

 of 70° ; length of the foot 4| inches ; length of the 

 step uniformly 11 inches. The tracks were nearly 

 in a straight line, and traceable over ten or twelve 

 feet surface, the last step leaving a vivid imprint on the perpendicular side 

 of the stone. This seems to indicate that the position of the rock has been 

 changed since these birds walked upon it, and left their foot prints upon the 

 then plastic mud, for the wonder and speculation of man in after ages Ordi- 

 nary observers have uniformly compared these tracks to those made by wild 

 turkevs ; but it does not require much ornithological knowledge to detect 



This, and the succeeding cuts, are one-fourth of the size of the original 



drawings. 



