260 



ORDERS OF BIRDS. 



various interesting types of the Natatores. Among these, 

 Gastornis is a huge and aberrant example of the Anscrinm, 

 with some Grallatorial affinities, and approaching the Cursores 

 in the fact that the wings were rudimentary, and the power 

 of flight, therefore, wanting. The only known species is the 

 Gastornis Farisiensis of the Paris basin. The Ai^gillornis of 

 the Eocene Tertiary appears to have been an ancient repre- 

 sentative of the Albatross {Dioonedea exulans), considerably 

 exceeding the living species in size. Agnoptcrus, again, is 

 an Eocene bird allied to the Flamingo. Under this order 

 also probably comes the extraordinary fossil bird, recently 

 described by Professor Owen from the London Clay (Eocene) 

 of Sheppey under the name of Odontoptcryx toliapicus. In 

 this singular bird (fig. 588) the alveolar margins of both 

 jaws are furnished with tooth-like denticulations, which differ 

 from true teeth in being actually parts of the osseous sub- 

 stance of the jaw itself, with which they are continuous. 

 They are of triangular or compressed conical form, and are 

 of two sizes, the larger ones resembling canines. Erom the 

 consideration of all the discovered remains of this bird. 

 Professor Owen concludes that " Odontopteryx was a warm- 



Fig. 5SS. — Skull of Odontoplcry.v toliapicus, restored. (After Owen.) 



blooded feathered biped, with wings ; and further, that it was 

 web-footed and a fish-eater, and that in the catching of its 

 slippery prey it was assisted by this Pterosauroid armature 

 of its jaws." Upon the whole, Odontoptcryx would appear to 

 be most nearly allied to the Anatidcc, but the denticulation 

 of its jaws is an entirely unique character. 



In the Miocene Tertiary are found the remains of various 

 Natatorial ]jirds, among which may be mentioned Flamingoes, 



