4/2 MR. R. LYDEKKER ON [NoV. 3, 



we may first mention the right humerus from Tavolara represented 

 in figs. 7,7 a oi the Plate. This agrees in all respects with the cor- 

 responding bone of a recent 'S.&\i^nch{Coccothraustes vulgaris), and 

 may be confidently referred to that widely-spread European species. 

 A right tibio-tarsus from the same locality is probably also referable 

 to this bird. Three smaller humeri, from Monte San Giovanni, appear 

 to be referable to the Bullfinch (Pyrrhula europeea), which now occurs 

 in many parts of Italy, occasionally reaching as far south as Sicily. 

 Three other humeri, of a more slender type, come very close to those 

 of the ChafBnch {Fringilla ccelehs), although slightly larger than in 

 existing examples ; these bones are from Tavolara. Two consider- . 

 ably smaller humeri of a Finch from the same locality may prove to 

 belong to the Serin {Serinus hortidanus), now so common in Italy. 



Almdidce. — Thfe humerus of the Larks is readily distinguished from 

 that of the Finches by the very slight development of the tricipital 

 fossa, which forms a mere shallow depression quite distinct from the 

 subtrochanteric fossa. Such a type of humerus is presented by the 

 specimen of the right side from Monte San Giovanni represented in 

 fio-s. 9, 9 a of the Plate. Since this bone is somewhat smaller than 

 the humerus of Alauda ai-vensis, I think it not improbable that it 

 may belong to A. arhorea. A humerus from a breccia at Mont- 

 morency figured by A. Milne-Edwards, 'Eech. Oiseaux Foss. de la 

 France,"' pi. 156. figs. 22, 23, and referred to A. cristata, is of the size 

 of that of A. arvensis, its characters being exactly those of the 

 present example. 



Sr/lviidcE. — Some small humeri in the collection not improbably 

 indicate members of this family, although I have been unable to de- 

 termine them even generically. 



Turdidce. — In this family the humerus is intermediate in character 

 between that of the Fringi'Uidce and that of the Alaudidce, having 

 well-developed tricipital and subtrochanteric fossae, separated from 

 one another by a complete bony septum. These characters are shown 

 in the right humerus from the breccia of Monte San Giovanni repre- 

 sented in figs. 8, 8 a of the Plate. This specimen has a length of 

 0,0265, and "is rather larger than the corresponding bone of Monticola 

 cyawMS figured in Milne-Edwards's 'Rech. Oiseaux Foss. de la France,' 

 pi. 149. fig. 16. The left tibio-tarsal and tarso-metatarsus from 

 Tavolara, represented in figs. 6, 6 a of the Plate, may belong to the 

 same kind of Thrush. The humerus differs from that oi Monticola 

 cyanus not only by its larger size but by the lesser development of 

 the delto-pectoral crest. In the form of the latter, as well as in 

 absolute size, it agrees so closely witii the corresponding bone of 

 Turdus musicus that it may be at least provisionally referred to that 

 species. 



A larger representative of the Turdidce is represented by nine 

 humeri and four other bones from the breccia of Toga, Corsica. The 

 number of the humeri appears to indicate a gregarious species. One 

 of these humeri, of the right side, is represented in woodcut 2, and 

 has a length of 0,0295. Unfortunately I have had no ojjportunity 

 of comparing this specimen with a humerus of Turdus merula. It is, 



