242 



KELIQUI.E 



ossiferous beds is very inconsiderable, and does not indicate that the Cock lived 

 as a guest of Man. 



Schmerling described some remains of it from the Caves in the province of 

 Lie*ge ; he even figures two tarso-metatarsals too different in size for it to be pos- 

 sible to admit that they come from the same species : one (pi. 37. fig. 2) is short 

 and slender ; the other (pi. 37. fig. 1) is much stouter, and its spur situated much 

 lower. M. Gervais indicates this bird as found in the Diluvial conglomerate near 

 the Barrier of Fontainebleau ; and H. von Meyer mentions its presence in the beds 

 of the valley of the Lahn, deposited at the same period. 



M. Pilhol has sent to me a nearly entire tarso-metatarsal taken from the 

 oldest layer of the Cave at Lherm (Ariege). Its lower extremity is broken ; but 

 the spur is almost perfect. This bone evidently belonged to a Cock; but it is 

 distinguished by its shortness and antero-posterior flatness from those of all the 

 species of the genus that I have examined. It is likewise differentiated by the 

 narrowness of the diaphysis, which is hollowed out by a well-marked groove. The 

 foot-bone of Gallus Sonneratl is thicker and longer ; that of the Bankiva Cock is 

 also longer, but it is narrower. Another tarso-metatarsal, destitute of spur, which 

 belonged to a Hen, was found by M. Piette in the Cave at Gourdan. It is 

 slenderer and shorter than the one from Lherm ; but these differences must be 

 regarded as sexual. 



A femur found in the Station of La Madelaine approaches in dimensions that of 

 Gallus Sonnerati. Another, collected at Bruniquel, is much smaller, although 

 adult ; and I can only assign it to a Hen. Lastly, to complete the enumeration of 

 the parts of the skeleton of these birds found in the Caves, I have to mention a 

 tibia and a coracoid from the Grotte des Fees, in the Department of the Allier. 



44. THE THICK-KNEE. Cliaradrius cedicnemus, Linne"; (Edicnemm crepitam, 



Temminck. L'CEdicneme criard. 



A unique tarso-metatarsal, found at Lacombe-Tayac, must be referred to this 

 bird. 



45. THE WATER-RAIL. Itallus aquaticus, Linne. Le Rale d'eau. 



Several bones of the Water-Rail have been collected at Bruniquel ; they present 

 no peculiarity worthy of notice. They are the sole indications of the existence 

 of the bird at the period of the filling of the Caves. Other species of the same 



