No. 3. — Fossil Lepidostdds from the Green River Shales of 

 Wyoming, By C. E. Eastman. 



The Eocene Green River Shales of Wyoming have long been noted for 

 their numerous and beautifully preserved fossil fishes, and large collections 

 have found their way to various American and foreign museums. Dur- 

 ing the summer of 1899 the Museum of Comparative Zoology purchased 

 of Mr. D. C. Haddenham, a local collector at Fossil, Wyoming, two 

 remarkable specimens from the fishbearing shales near that well-known 

 locality. One of these is a gigantic Lepidosteid, of which only detached 

 fragments have hitherto been known ; the other is a nearly perfect 

 skeleton of a gallinaceous bird. Both specimens are unique in their 

 way, and possess considerable scientific as well as intrinsic value. The 

 news of their discovery was first communicated by Professor Wdbur C. 

 Knight, of Laramie, Wyoming, who made a special visit to Fossil for 

 the purpose of examining the remains, and whose favorable report 

 induced their acquisition. 



A brief account of the two specimens, accompanied by a photo-repro- 

 duction of the bird, was prepared soon after their arrival in Cambridge, 

 and published in the Geological Magazine for February, 1900. Later it 

 developed through correspondence with Mr, F. A. Lucas, Curator of 

 Comparative Anatomy in the United States National Museum, that this 

 Museum had also obtained during the past summer a large cranium of 

 Lepidosteus from the same horizon and locality. Another nearly com- 

 plete fossil gar which had been exhibited at the World's Fair in 1893 

 was reported, and Mr, Lucas was fortunate enough to ascertain its 

 whereabouts and finally to obtain it too for the national collection. 

 Descriptions of these three specimens are given in the present paper, 

 and it is to be observed that these are the only noteworthy remains of 

 Lepidosteus that have yet been found in the American Eocene. 



The discovery of fossil gars in the Tertiary of this country was first 

 reported by O. C. Marsh (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1871, p. 105). 

 He named two species, Lepidosteus glaher and L. whitneyi, both from the 

 Eocene of Wyoming ; but as no descriptions were given beyond the bare 

 statement that the first " has unusually short vertebrae " and the other 

 VOL. XXXVI. — No. 3. 



