o'9 
University of California Publications in Geology [V0L-7 
clearly indicate a bird generically distinct from Cathartes and the 
improbability of the oceurrence of a true Vultur in North 
America is extreme.’”*? With the former point at least there can 
be no possible disagreement after a consideration of Cope’s figures 
of Palaeoborus. Whether the form may be considered ecathartine 
at all is open to very serious question. Lueas?? considers it as 
more probably of polyborine affinities. 
In South America fossil eathartids are less rare. Cathartes 
and Gyparchus are reported from the Pleistocene caves of 
Brazil.** Moreno and Mercerat?® describe two species from the 
Pampean Pleistocene and three from the Pliocene of the Santa 
Cruz. The Pleistocene species, Cathartes fossilis and Sarco- 
rhamphus fossilis, represent genera still existing in that region. 
The three species from the Santa Cruz, Psilopterus communis, 
P. australis and P. intermedius. belong to an extinet genus which 
is placed by the authors adjacent to Cathartes and is considered 
by them to be intermediate or transitional between that genus 
and Sarcorhamphus. The three species of Psilopterus are based 
on the most fragmentary material. The figures are such as to 
indicate specimens in rather poor state of preservation as to sur- 
face markings. Trochleae are corroded away and intermuscular 
lines are entirely wanting. P. intermedius is based on a single 
specimen consisting of two tarsal trochleae. The other two 
species are based upon fragmentary tarsi poorly preserved. 
While there may be no question in the minds of these authors 
as to the relationships of the genus Psilopterus, there appears 
nothing in the lithographed figures or in the very meager descrip- 
tions that is at all convincing. 
Beyond the above instances, the only record of fossil cath- 
artids previous to the excavations at Rancho La Brea is the 
remarkable specimen made known by Gaillard*® from the phos- 
phorites of Querey, an Oligocene horizon in France. This species, 
"22 Coues, E., Key to N. Am. Birds (ed. 2; 2884), p. 822. 
23 Lueas, F. A., in Zittel’s Text-Book of Palaeontology, Eng. trans., vol. 
2, p. 277, 1902. 
24 Winge, O., Fugle fra Knoglehaler i Brazilien, Museo Lundii, 1887. 
25 Palae. Argentina, An. Mus. La Plata, pt. 1, p. 67, 1891. 
26 Gaillard, C., Ann. de 1’Univy. de Lyon, n. ser. 1, Se. & Med., fase. 23, 
1908. 
