1^0.2.] COPE ON A WADING BIRD OF THE AMYZON SHALES. 85 



their whole structure is soft and delicate. The length of the longest 

 rectrix is just about that of the tibia. 



Measurements. 



M. 



Length of tlio preiliac vertebrae 010 



Length of centrum of first vertebrae 0035 



Length of sacrum 021 



Length of caudal vertebrae on curve 0145 



Length of plowshare bone to apex 005 



Length of ilium 024 



Length of ilium to acetabulum 012 



Length of ischium from acetabulum 016 



Length of pubis from acetabulum 019 



Width between posterior angles of ilia 009 



Length of femur 024 



Diameter of femur at middle 003 



Length of tibia 047 



Antero-posterior diameter at head 006 



Diameter of shaft at middle 0027 



Diameter of head of tarsometatarse 004 



Length of median rectrix from plowshare bono 046 



Length of external rectrix from plowshare bone j 040 



Width of portion of tail preserved . .020 



The strongly contrasted light and dark shades of color are not unfre- 

 queutly preserved in the insects of this formation. I suspect that had 

 the rectrices of this species originally displayed the alternating white 

 and dark cross-bars characteristic of the Totani, some trace of them 

 would be discoverable in the fossil, in spite of the fact that the entire 

 feather is represented by carbon only. The brown tint of the specimen, 

 both light and dark, is uninterrupted by pattern of any kind. 



The tail is rather longer than in the Tringce, about equal to that of 

 many j)lovers and Totani, and shorter than that of Actiturus. 



The Charadius sheppardianus was discovered near Florissant, Color- 

 ado, by Dr. G. Hambach, a skillful naturalist. I have named it in honor 

 of Edwin Sheppard, of Philadelphia, an excellent ornithologist and 

 skillful artist. 



