556 GRALLATORES. 



A VES. GRA LLA TORES. 



Fig. 236. 



Sternum of a Small Wader, London clay, Primrose Hill. Nat. size. 



SMALL WADING BIRD. 



A SMALL species of the Grallatorial Order is indicated 

 by the slightly decussating coracoid grooves, c c, fig. 236, 

 at the fore part of the fossil sternum above figured. This 

 peculiarity may be seen in the sternum of the existing species 

 of the Heron family, (Ardeida,) and thus assists in the 

 determination of the present fossil, in the absence of the 

 characters which the posterior margin of the sternum would 

 have afforded if entire. 



The fossil was obtained by N. T. Wetherell, Esq., of 

 Highgate, from the London clay near Primrose Hill, 

 during the excavation of the tunnel of the London and Bir- 

 mingham Railway ; and was obligingly transmitted to me 

 by that gentleman for the illustration of the present work. 



The existence of fossil remains of Birds in the eocene 

 gypsum of Montmartre, has long been know. Lamanon 

 appears to have described the first in 1782 ;""" and Camper 

 made mention of a second, in a Paper on Fossils, printed 

 in the Philosophical Transactions for 1786. The stimulus 



* ' Journal de Physique,' t. xix, p. ] 75. 



