392 Mr. R. Lydekker on 



cognized, some of the most characteristic being the coracoid, 

 the humerus, the metacarpus, and the tarso-metatarsus. 

 Thus the coracoid is extremely long and narrow, with the 

 subclavicular process aborted and its sternal surface short 

 and oblique. The short humerus has a very characteristic 

 curvature, a small and incurved delto-pectoral crest, and the 

 aperture of the pneumatic foramina of moderate size, and 

 generally opening on the flat surface of the bone. The meta- 

 carpus, except in Numida, the Cracida, and the Turnicida, 

 differs from that of all other birds, with the exception of 

 certain Passerines, in having a thin flange of bone projecting 

 from the stouter to the smaller bar. The stout and mode- 

 rately long tarso-metatarsus is somewhat flattened from front 

 to back, with two strong ridges on the hinder surface, a 

 single tube at the proximal end, and the second distal trochlea 

 rather shorter than the fourth and somewhat reflected. 



In the Tetraonidce, evidence of the former existence of the 

 Capercaillie in England is afibrded by a series of bones dis- 

 covered in a cave near Teesdale, Yorkshire, of which an ac- 

 count will be found in the last edition of ' Yarrell.' The 

 writer is also inclined to believe that a coracoid in the British 

 Museum from the superficial deposits at Ostend, near Bacton, 

 Norfolk, should be referred to a young individual of this 

 species. 



The Black Grouse [Tetrao tetr'ix) is represented by a femur 

 from Kent's Cavern, Torquay, as well as by a humerus in the 

 British Museum from the peat of Monmouthshire ; there is 

 also a humerus recently recognized by the writer in the 

 Dublin Museum, which was obtained from a cave in county 

 Waterford. The latter specimen is of especial interest, as 

 there is no other record that the Black Grouse was ever in- 

 digenous in Ireland. Of not less interest is the former occur- 

 rence in that country of the Ptarmigan [Lagopus mutus), as 

 proved by several bones from the Shandon cave, Co. Water- 

 ford. It was originally suggested by Prof. A. Newton, to 

 whom they were sul)mitted, that these bones might belong to 

 small females of the Red Grouse [Lagopus scoiicus), but 

 there can be no hesitation in regarding them as referable to 



