368 M. A. Milne-Edwards on the former Existence 



The absence of an upper epicondylian hook-shaped apophysis 

 will not allow of its being confounded with the wing-bone of 

 the long-winged Palmipedes, and with the Waders which I place 

 in the family of Sandpipers. Among the largest representatives 

 of the family of Storks^ such as the Marabous, the principal 

 bone of the wing resembles that of the Pelican in its pneu- 

 maticity and in the development of the bicipital surface ; but the 

 diaphysis is comparatively much less stout, the external ridge 

 more prominent, the trochanter more projecting, and the epi- 

 trochlear stouter and furrowed by deep grooves for the insertion 

 of the flexor muscles of the manus ; lastly, in these birds the 

 inner lip of the groove of the triceps is only slightly bent back. 



In the Cranes the humerus is more strongly bowed, and the 

 bicipital surface is relatively only slightly bent back. I should 

 add that the epitrochlear is much more developed. 



The difiFerences which exist between the wing-bone of the 

 gallinaceous and passerine birds and the Parrots and that of the 

 Pelicans are too striking and too numerous for it to be useful to 

 pause upon them. In the natural group formed by the birds 

 of prey, the shaft of the bone is generally slightly bent back, 

 though the extremities are much expanded and the bicipital 

 surface only occupies a small space. In the Condor, however, 

 as in all large birds of flight, the humerus is very pneumatic 

 and presents numerous air-orifices above the lower condyles and 

 below the great trochanter ; but the bony plate of the diaphysis 

 is very thick, the outer ridge is prolonged nearly as far as half 

 the bone, and, lastly, the lower extremity is remarkably expan- 

 ded. Besides, the locality of this species would have enabled 

 me to dispense with the comparison of its skeleton with that of 

 the Pelican ; but I think it well to show that, in this last genus, 

 the humerus offers a combination of organic characters which 

 are not elsewhei'e found. 



This examination proves on the strongest evidence that the 

 fossil bone of the Cambridgeshire peat-bogs belongs to the genus 

 Pelicanus; for, although its articular extremities are only im- 

 perfectly ossified, all the characters are to be found there which 

 I have shown to be proper to the Pelicans : — the slight projection 

 of the insertional ridge of the great pectoral muscle and the 



