298 LEAVES FROM THE 



Tliey most nearly resembled those figured in the paper 

 on the new red sandstone of Wanvickshire, by Sir 

 Roderick Mm'chison and Mr. Strickland,* but differed in 

 exhibiting more distinct indications of the terminal claws, 

 and less distinctive impressions of the connecting web: 

 the innermost toe was less, and there was an impression 

 always at a distance from the fore-toes, like a hind-toe 

 pointing backwards, the point of which only seemed to 

 have touched the ground, reminding the observer of such 

 an imjDression as might have been made by a wading 

 bird, and of the ' ornithichnites' discovered by Dr. Hitch- 

 cock in the Connecticut new red sandstone, which have 

 been referred to the grallatorial tribe of birds. 



The American fossil footsteps were found at five places 

 near the banks of the river, within a distance of thirty 

 niiles, at various depths beneath the surrounding surface, 

 in quarries of laminated flag-stones. The inclination of 

 the stone is from 5° to 80° ; and there is evidence to 

 warrant the conclusion, that the tracks were impressed 

 before the strata were so inclined. Many of these tracks, 

 clearly shomng that they belonged to different indi\d- 

 duals and species, cross each other; and the footmarks 

 are not unfrequently crowded together, reminding one of 

 the impressions left by the feet of ducks, geese, and otlier 

 birds, on the muddy shore of the stream or pond fre- 

 quented by them. These foot-prints are referred by Pro- 

 fessor Hitchcock to seven species at least, if not genera, 

 of very long-legged wading birds, varying in size from 

 that of a" snipe to dimensions twice as great as those of 

 an ostrich. The steps are seen in regular succession on 

 a continuous track, as of an animal walking or running, 

 the right and left foot always occupying their pro^Der 

 places. At Mount Thorn, near Northami^ton, were dis- 

 covered four nearly parallel tracks of a gigantic animal, 



Geol. Trans. Second Series, vol. v. pi. xxviii. 



