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VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 



THE TOOTHED DIVING BIRDS (NEORNITHES ODONTOLC.E) 



The oldest avian remains next to those of Archceopteryx belong 

 to Cretaceous times, and occur in strata that are characteristically 



FIG. 152. The most important forms of birds' feet, a, clinging foot of a swift, 

 Cypselus; b, climbing foot of woodpecker, Picus; c, scratching foot of pheasant, 

 Phasianus; d, perching foot of ouzel, Turdus; e, foot of kingfisher, Alcedo; f, seizing 

 foot of falcon, Falco; g, wading foot of stork, Mycteria; h, running foot of ostrich, 

 Struthio; i, swimming foot of duck, Mergus; k, wading foot of avocet, Recurvirostra; 

 I, diving foot of grebe, Podicipes; m, wading foot of coot, Fulica; n, swimming 



foot of tropic-bird, Phaeton. 

 f, n, from regne animal.) 



(From Hegner, after Sedgwick's Zoology: b, c, d, 



marine; for the other fossils in these strata are essentially sea types. 

 The bird fossils referred to evidently belonged to a type that was 

 primarily a sea diver, as is evidenced by the rudimentary wings and 



