NO. 2 AVIFAUNA OF PLEISTOCENE IN FLORIDA WETMORE 9 



(Eocene) i mile northwest of Lecanto, Citrus County, Florida, on 

 property belonging to Mr. D. J. Allen. Several years ago Murray 

 Davis with some companions obtained there the canine tooth of a 

 saber-tooth tiger (Sinilodon sp.) which was sent to the Florida State 

 Geological Survey. Subsequently Mr. Holmes made arrangements 

 for a thorough examination through the cooperation of Mr. Herman 

 Gunter, Mr. J. E. King, and Mr. Allen. The work was done under 

 Mr. Holmes' direction in February and March, 1928. 



The entrance to this cave is described * as being " through a broad 

 sink terminating in two vertical shafts. Immediately under these the 

 floor of the cave was from 25 to 40 feet below the shaft mouths and 

 there apparently has never been an entrance practicable for large 

 living mammals. On the floor below the sink and in pockets elsewhere 

 was a deposit of red earth or clay in which were found numerous re- 

 mains of Pleistocene animals, apparently representing a distinct unit 

 fauna. There also occurred in the cave a younger bed of sand and 

 humus containing no extinct mammals but with numerous remains 

 of the recent white-tailed deer of the region." 



The bird bones from these deposits are relatively few in number 

 and are all fragmentary. They are light in color, somewhat stained 

 by the reddish earth in which they were found, and present the chalky 

 appearance usual in bones from limestone caves. 



The 10 species of birds identified ofifer little worthy of remark as 

 all are found in the same area at the present time. The barn owl, 

 Tyto alba, regularly inhabits caves. The two vultures, Cafliarfes and 

 Coragyps, sometimes nest in or about caverns. Occurrence of the 

 other species must be considered as due to chance except that possibly 

 the screech owl and barred owl may have sought shelter in the cave. 



The bird bones are associated with remains of the saber-tooth tiger, 

 a capybara, a fossil dog, ground sloth, horse, tapir, a camelid, and 

 mastodon among Pleistocene species, together with a number of mam- 

 mals that occur at the present time in this area. 



The list of species follows : 



Nyroca affinis Colinus virginianus 



Cathartes aura scptcntrioualis Melcagris gaUopavo 



Coragyps urubii Tyto alba 



Haliaeetxts Icucoccphalus Otus asio 



Falco sparvcrhts Strix varia 



COLUMBIA COUNTY DEPOSITS 



From collections in the Florida State Geological Survey obtained in 

 Columbia County about 3 miles northwest of Fort White, Mr. Pier- 



