Art. III.— On a H^adin^ Bird from the Amyzon Shales. 



By E. D. Cope. 



The formation which. I have called the Amyzon Shales is a lacustrine 

 deposit of Tertiary age which is found in the South Park of Colorado, in 

 Northeastern I:>I"evada, and probably in Central Oregon.* Its material 

 is laminated, and is occasionally highly carbonaceous. It contains many 

 specimens of fossil fishes, of plants, and of insects, and allied articulates. 

 Its age is uncertain, but it is probably near the Upper Eocene or Lower 

 Miocene. Remains of birds are very rare, the best-preserved specimen 

 yet found being that of a Passerine species. Under the impression that 

 it belongs to the FringilUdce, Mr. J. A. Allen describes it under the name 

 of Falceospiza hella.j 



The present communication relates to a second species of bird from 

 the same formation. The specimen includes three vertebrae anterior to 

 the pelvis; the pelvis, with the vertebrse which it incloses, and the 

 caudal vertebrse; both femora; the tibia and part of the tarsoraetatarse 

 of the right leg, with the greater part of the left tibia. One-half of the 

 tail is preserved, the feathers lying in almost undisturbed relation. 

 There are also various light and downy feathers of the base of the tail 

 and adjacent parts of the body lying on the block, some in place, others 

 loose. 



The characters displayed by the bones and feathers are those of a 

 species of the order Grallce and tribe Limicolce {TotanideSs A. Milne 

 Edwards). In the absence of important parts of the skeleton, it is not 

 possible to ascertain the family characteristics, but it is more easy to 

 assign the species to its genus. I cannot detect any features which for- 

 bid its reference to the genus Cliaradrius in the large sense. It presents 

 important resemblances to the species of Totanus, but there are some 

 reasons, to be mentioned later, why this reference is inadmissible. It 

 is clear that there are various genera of Scolopacidcc to which it cannot 

 be referred, on account of the form of its ossa iscJiii. I therefore intro- 

 duce it to the scientific record under the name 



Charadrius sheppardianus. 



Ghars. — Femur one-half the length of the tibia; nine caudal vertebrae; 

 tail gently wedge shaped, apparently without color cross-bars. 



* American Naturalist, May, 1879. 



t Bnlleriu U. S. Geo]. Survey Territories, Vol. IV, 1878, p. 443, PI. I. 



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