NO. 2 FOSSIL AND SUBFOSSIL BIRDS — WETMORE II 



2 entire and 8 fragments of the left side; i entire and 3 fragmentary 

 ulnae from the right side, with i entire and 3 fragments from the 

 left side ; i entire and 6 broken right carpometacarpi, with 4 frag- 

 ments from the left side; anterior ends of 11 sterna; 5 entire, 16 or 

 more fragmentary right coracoids, and 4 entire and 10 fragments 

 from the left side; anterior ends of 3 right and of 6 left scapulae; 

 distal end of i right and of 2 left tibiotarsi ; i entire and 3 partial 

 right tarsometatarsi, and parts of 4 from the left size. 



From the abundance of these remains the passenger pigeon must 

 have been common and easily taken, probably from a roost, if the 

 deposit of bones is accepted as an accumulation from cast pellets of 

 night-feeding owls. All the bones are from fully adult birds which 

 points to a gathering outside the nesting season. This species, now 

 long extinct, was abundant during the period of settlement in Virginia, 

 with extensive roosts recorded as late as 1872. It was last reported 

 in the State definitely in 1890, uncertainly in 1892. 



Passenger pigeon bones have been found frequently in Indian vil- 

 lage sites of pre-Columbian age, and are recorded from the Pleistocene 

 in California, Tennessee, and Florida. 



Family ALCEDINIDAE: Kingfishers 



Megaceryle alcyon (Linnaeus) : Belted Kingfisher. 



One: Proximal half of a left humerus. 



There is one report of this kingfisher from the Pleistocene of 

 Florida. 



Family PICIDAE: Woodpeckers 



Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus) : Yellow-shafted Flicker. 



One: Distal half of a right tarsometatarsus. 



The occurrence at Natural Chimneys is listed under the name of 

 the eastern species of the genus, following the modern geographical 

 ranges of these woodpeckers. But it should be noted that in available 

 skeletons there appear no trenchant characters on which the three 

 species of Colaptes of the A.O.U. Check-list may be separated. 



In the eastern region of North America flickers have been reported 

 from three localities in the Pleistocene of Florida. 

 Centurus carolinus (Linnaeus) : Red-bellied Woodpecker. 



One : A left tarsometatarsus, complete. 



The species is recorded from the Pleistocene of Florida. 

 Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus) : Red-headed Woodpecker. 



Two individuals : A right humerus, complete, and another from the 



