POSSIL BIRDS FROM SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA. 



By Alexander Wetmore, 

 Of the Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture. 



During February, March, and April, 1921, Dr. J. W. Gidley, as- 

 sistant curator of fossil mammals. United States National Museum, 

 jnade an extensive collection of fossils from newly discovered beds 

 in the upper San Pedro Valley, Cochise County, Arizona. Among 

 rich deposits of mammalian remains were found a small number of 

 bones of birds, all considerably broken, that Doctor Gidley has 

 kindly placed in the hands of the writer for study ; those that may 

 be identified with any degree of certainty are described in the pages 

 that follow. 



The fii"st locality where excavations were made was in a wash 

 draining into what are known as the Curtis Flats (near the Curtis 

 Ranch), in Sec. 25, T. IS S., R. 21 E., a point about 14 miles south- 

 east of Benson. Bird remains from this site, few in number, are 

 dark slate in color, and have been considerably crushed and broken. 

 They include the following: 



Odontophoridae ( indeterminate) . 



Chloroenas micula, new species. 



Fringilliclae (indeterminate). 

 More extensive collections were secured at a second site in a quarry 

 on Sec. 22, T. 17 S., R. 20 E., a point about 2 miles south of 

 Benson. A considerable excavation here yielded a large quantity of 

 fossil material among which was a considerable number of bones 

 of birds. These, though fairly fossilized, are almost as light in color 

 as natural bone. The specimens are all small and were secured, with 

 many remains of other small vertebrates, by careful search in un- 

 consolidated material. 



The list of identified specimens from this quarry is longer than 

 that from the first point worked, as it includes the following : 



Colymhus, species. 



Querquedula, species. 



Bendrocygna eversa^ new species. 



Branta minusculu^ new species. 



Anatidae (indeterminate). 



No. 2495. — Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 64, Art. 5. 



1 



