ART. 5. FOSSIL BIRDS FROM ARIZONA WETMORE, 15 



Range. — Upper Pliocene, known only from type locality, 14 miles 

 southeast of Benson, Ariz. 



Remarks. — The present species was a small pigeon apparently 

 more or less similar in size to the modern mourning dove. The 

 metatarsus in the group of what may be termed the columbine pigeon?, 

 formerly all embraced in the broad genus Columba^ has the inner 

 trochlea less elevated and the trochlea as a whole shorter and 

 stronger than in related groups. Chloroenas micula suggests Melo- 

 pelia asiatica strongly in appearance but may be distinguished by the 

 characters just cited and by other minor points. Zenaida is distin- 

 guished by the slight depth of the incisions between the trochlea, 

 while Zenaidura is peculiar in the slight development of the wing- 

 like process on the internal trochlea. Scardafella and Chamaepelia,) 

 genera that in spite of their small size are suggestive of affinity to 

 the fossil, are to be distinguished by the elongate outer face of the 

 external trochlea which is considerably longer than broad. 



The affinities of micula are with Chloroenas and not with the 

 AVest Indian species now segregated in the genus Patagioenas. The 

 distinction in the lower end of the tarso-metatarsus between these 

 groups may be summarized conveniently in the form of a key : 



a\ Inner trochlea with winglike projection smaller, less swollen, not projecting 

 so far posteriorly; junction with main body of trochlea marked by a 

 distinct depression. 



Fatagrioenas squamosa. 

 Patagrloenas leucocephala. 



a^ Inner trochlea with winglike projection relatively larger, more swollen, 

 projecting farther posteriorly ; junction with main body of trochlea indi- 

 cated if at all by a very slight depression. 



Ohloroenas fasciata, 

 Obloroenas inomata. 

 Cliloroenas micula. 



Family CORVIDAE. 



CORVUS, species. 



The distal portion of a right tibio-tarsus secured two miles south 

 of Benson belongs to a small raven of the Gorvus corax group, closely 

 related to, and perhaps identical with, G. shufeldti from the Fossil 

 lake deposits of Oregon. The latter species, described originally by 

 Dr. R. W. Shufeldt as Gorvus annectens^ a name unfortunately pre- 

 occupied by G. annectens Briiggemann® was subsequently renamed 

 Gorvus shufeldti by Sharpe.'^ 



In Doctor Shufeldt's original description his form, based on a right 

 tarso-metatarsus, is said to resemble G. corax but to be smaller, a 



B Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Fhiladelpliia, ser. 2, vol. 9, 1892, p. 419, pi. 15. figs. 14-lG. 

 « Abh. Naturwiss. Ver. Brfemen, vol. 5. April, 1876, p. 75. 

 ' Hand-1. Gen. Spec. Birds, vol. 5, 1909, p. 599. 



