58 



P.XL/EONTOLOGY 



Aves. — The Paris basin has yielded several species of birds, 

 though it is not so rich in this respect as the Miocene district of 

 Allier (Central France), from which about seventy species have 

 been recorded. The Meudon conglomerate has yielded Gastornis 

 parisiensis, Hebert, and in the Gypseous beds of Montmartre 

 Cuvier recognised the following species, chiefly by their foot- 

 prints : — 



Family. 

 CaRIi\AT.€. 



Genus. 

 Palceorivx 

 Circus (?) 

 Haliivtus or 

 Pandion (?) 

 Strix (?) 

 Sitta (?) 

 Cohtrnix (?) 

 Scolopax (?) 

 Pelidna (?) 

 Ardea (?) 

 Numemus (?) 

 Pelecanus . 



Species. 

 Hofftnanni (Gerv.). 



Citvieri.^ Gerv. 



gypsorttm, Gerv. 



Sir A. Geikie, F.R.S., summarises the bird fauna in the following 

 words* : " From the Upper Eocene beds of the Paris basin, ten 

 species of birds have been obtained, including forms allied to the 

 buzzard, woodcock, quail, pelican, ibis, flamingo, and African 

 hornbill." More or less perfect fragments have been met with in 

 the Sables Moyens and St. Ouen Marls.f 



Reptilia. — Several species of Reptilia are met with in the 

 Eocene and Oligocene beds of the basin ; those most frequently 

 occurring are the following : — 



Vertebrae of Reptilia have been found in the " Faiisses 

 glatses,'" and impressions of Chelonia in the Gypsum. For more 

 detailed information on the Reptilia, consult P. GervaisJ and A. 

 S. Woodward. § 



* A. Geikie, " Te.xt Book of Geol." (1882), p. 840. 



t For further details consult Cuvier, Oss. Foss. Milne Edwards, Oiseatix Foss. Fran(. 

 Gervais, Paldoit. Franp. Lydekker, Catal. Brit. Mus. 



% P. Gexva.is,,Zoologie et Paleont./ranfaiscs. 



§ A. S. Woodward, " On Fossil Leathery Turtles," in Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol. x. (1S87), 

 p. 2, with full references to many writers on " Turtles." 



