FOSSIL BIRDS 283 



referred them to the genera Agnopterus, Coturnix, Cryptornis, Falco, 

 Gypsornis, Laurillardia, Limosa, Palsegithalus, Palxocircus, Palxortyx, 

 Peiidna, Phalacrocorar, Rallus, and (?) Tringa. Of these the extinct 

 genera are the first, which was probably distantly allied to the 

 Flamingos ; the third, believed to be a HORNBILL (A. Milne- 

 Edwards, Ois. Foss. Fr. ii. p. 547): the fifth a Ealline form; the sixth 

 now shewn to be allied to Hartlaubia of Madagascar ; ^ the eighth 

 (originally identified with Sitta) probably connecting Parus (Tit- 

 mouse) and Sylvia (Warbler) ; and the ninth and tenth re- 

 spectively referable to the Accipitres and the Gallinx. The 

 equivalent beds of Hordwell in Hampshire have yielded remains 

 of several birds,- including an Accipitrine, Adiornis, Agnojiterus (1), 

 Colymboides, Elornis (?), Geranopsis, Grus, Ibidopsis, of which the 

 second being allied to the Cormorants, the fifth to the Cranes, 

 and the last to the Ibises, are peculiar to these deposits. The 

 third, fourth, and fifth, are mentioned below. Nothing can be 

 said as to the affinities of the bone from the same beds described 

 as Macrornis by Prof. Seeley. Grus {Palxogrus) also occurs in the 

 Italian Eocene. The Marl beds of Aix in Provence, belono-ing to 

 this epoch, have yielded fossil eggs and feathers, but as yet no 

 bones of Birds ; and to the same period must probably also be 

 assigned the lacustrine calcareous deposits of Armissan, in 

 Languedoc, whence M. Cervais recovered remains originally 

 referred to Tetrao (Grouse), but subsequently to a distinct though 

 allied genus Taoperdix. The bird -bones of the Upper Eocene 

 Phosphorites of Central France, although numerous, have as yet 

 been only partially described. They include remains of Passeres, 

 Picarise, and Accipitres, together with Palxortyx, the Stork -like 

 Propelargus, and jFgialornis, the last being apparently allied to the 

 Gulls, but with a shorter wing. From the Eocene of Wyoming 

 Prof. Marsh {Am. Journ. Sci. ser. 3, iv. p. 256) has described five 

 birds varying in size from a Flamingo to a Woodcock, all of which 

 are referred to an extinct genus Aleiornis, presumably allied to the 

 Gruidse (Crane). Remains referred to Bubo and Charadrius, as well 

 as the extinct Uintornis, referred to the Picid.se (Woodpecker) and 

 Palseospiza, have likewise been obtained from the Eocene of the 

 United States. Our list of birds of this epoch closes with Palxett,- 

 dyptes, a giant Penguin from New Zealand described by Prof. 

 Huxley {Q. Journ. Geol. Soc. xv. p. 670). 



The freshwater beds of Hempstead in the Isle of Wight, as 

 well as those of Ronzon near Puy-en-Velay, form a transition from 



the greatest use in preparing the present summary. To Prof. Seelej' also I have 

 owed much assistance. — A. N. 



^ See Flot, 3Iem. Soc. Geol. France, Pal. i. fasc. 6. 



2 These, together with some of the ornitholites of the Phosphorites, are de- 

 scribed in the Cat. Foss. Birds Brit. Mus. 1891. 



