Ornithichnology. 307 



Art. XX. — Ornithichnology. — Description of the Foot marJcs of 

 Birds, (Ornithichnites) on neiv Red Sandstone in Massachusetts ; 

 by Prof. Edward Hitchcock of Amherst College. 



The almost entire absence of birds from the organic remains found 

 in the rocks, has been to geologists a matter of some surprise. Up 

 to a very recent date, I am not aware that any certain examples of 

 these animals in a fossil state have been discovered, except the nine 

 or ten specimens found by Cuvier, in the tertiary gypsum beds near 

 Paris. In the third volume (third edition) of his Ossemens Fos- 

 siles,* he has examined all the cases of fossil birds reported by pre- 

 vious writers, and he regards them, nearly all, as deserving little 

 credit. 



For this paucity of ornitholites. geologists have, indeed, assigned 

 probable reasons, derived from the structure and habits of birds. 

 These render them less liable, than quadrupeds and other animals, 

 to be submerged beneath the waters, so as to be preserved in aque- 

 ous deposites ; and even when they chance to perish in the water, 

 they float so long upon the surface, as to be most certainly discover- 

 ed, and devoured by rapacious animals.f 



But although these circumstances satisfactorily explain the fact, 

 above referred to, they do not render the geologist less solicitous 

 to discover any relics of the feathered tribe, that may be found in 

 the fossiliferous rocks : and I have, therefore, been much gratified 

 by some unexpected disclosures of this sort, during the past sum- 

 mer, in the new red sandstone formation on the banks of Connecti- 

 cut river, in Massachusetts. 



My attention was first called to the subject by Dr. James Deane 

 of Greenfield; who sent me some castsj of impressions, on a red 

 micaceous sandstone, brought from the south part of Montague, for 

 flagging stones. Through the liberality of the same gentleman, I 

 soon after obtained the specimens themselves, from which the casts 

 were taken ; and they are now deposited in the cabinet of Amherst 

 College. They consist of two slabs, about forty inches square, 

 originally united face to face ; but on separation, presenting four 



* P. 302. t Lyell's Geolog)^ Vol. II, p. 246, first edition, 



t The editor of this Journal was early indebted to Dr. Deane, for similar casts 

 of these tracks. 



