1909. | FOSSIL BIRD FROM ITALY. 369 
crest. The fibular crest has been crushed. ‘The distal end of the 
shaft, though crushed, shows the form of the trochlea. On the 
counterpart the proximal extremity of the shaft is much damaged ; 
while of the distal end only an impression remains. 
Text-fig. 47. 
The Slab (left-hand figure) and the counterpart thereof (right-hand figure) 
containing remains of a fossil Pipit (Anthus bosniaskii). 
The hind-toe of the left leg is clearly seen in the Slab, while to the left of the tibial 
shaft of the right leg traces of feathers are preserved (marked x), but these are 
much more clearly seen on the counterpart. 
The left leg is more complete, but lacks the front toes. On 
the slab the femur is seen from its ventral aspect; the head 
is missing, but the condyles of the distal extremity can be fairly 
well made out. The tibio-tarsus is seen from its inner aspect. 
It is therefore somewhat curious to find that the fibula has become 
detached from the fibuiar crest, and les with its head in close juxta- 
position to the fibular condyle of the femur, as may be seen in 
the photograph (text-fig. 47). The entocnemial crest is fairly well 
preserved. The counterpart of this slab lacks the proximal ex- 
tremity of the tibio-tarsus, owing to the flaking away of the matrix, 
while the distal end of the shaft can only very indistinctly be 
made out. The tarso-metatarsus, though preserved in its entirety, 
is too much crushed at its proximal extremity to make it possible 
to distinguish the mesotarsal articulation. The shaft is also 
flattened and crushed. The ecto- and entocnemial trochlez can 
be made out, but the mesotrochlea is obliterated. 
Of the digits only the hallux is preserved, but the metatarsal 
thereof cannot be traced, while the ungual phalanx is much 
erushed and flattened. This digit, however, serves at once to 
show the Passerine character of these remains, and this because 
of the great length of the proximal phalanx and its position in 
regard to the other toes. Of the other digits only fragments of 
