Mr. Murchison’s Address before the Geological Society. 187 
cock. ‘This I had the pleasure to demonstrate to Mr. Boott of 
Boston, during his late visit to London. It seems most reasona- 
ble, therefore, to conclude that the Ornithichnites are the im- 
pressions of the feet of birds, which had the same low grade of 
organization as the Apteryr and the Dinornis of New Zealand, 
and these latter may be regarded as the last remnants of an ap- 
terous race of birds, which seems to have flourished at the epoch 
of the New Red Sandstones of Connecticut and Massachusetts. 
Believe me, very faithfully yours, 
Ricuarp Owen. 
In concluding this subject, we are sure our readers will agree 
with us that we cannot do better than to quote the following 
paragraph from the last address of Mr. Murchison before the Ge- 
ological Society of London, Feb. 17, 1843. Mr. M. says: 
“To American geologists we are indebted for our acquaint- 
ance with this new class of phenomena. ‘The existence of the 
fossil bones of birds of ordinary size had, it is true, been ascer- 
tained by Dr. Mantell in the Wealden strata, but great was our 
astonishment, and I may add our incredulity, when Prof. Hitch- 
cock first announced that in rocks of considerable antiquity, (the 
exact age of which is still uncertain,) there existed innumerable 
impressions in successive layers, which must have been formed 
by birds, some of them of gigantic size, and to which he boldly 
assigned the name of ‘Ornithichnites.’ Various opinions were 
entertained, and much scepticism prevailed concerning these im- 
pressions; but it is due to Dr. Buckland to state, that he never 
doubted that the views of Prof. Hitchcock were founded on true 
natural analogies, and he accordingly published this opinion with 
illustrative plates in his Bridgewater Treatise. ‘The recent visit 
of Mr. Lyell to North America, anda memoir he has read, as 
well as a communication from Dr. James Deane of Massachu- 
setts,* have necessarily brought this highly interesting subject 
again before us: whilst a very remarkable discovery in natural 
history, has at all events almost entirely dispelled scepticism re- 
garding the true bird-like character of even the largest of the 
footsteps, however difficult it may be to imagine the presence of 
such highly organized creatures at a very early period. 'The ob- 
servations of Mr. Lyell completely support the views of Prof. 
* The same which accompanies this article.-—Eps. 
