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VI. On the Remains of a Gigantic Species of Bird (Gastornis klaasseni, n. sp.) from 

 the Lower Eocene Beds near Croydon. By E. T. Newton, F.G.S. 1 



deceived March 17th, 1885, read May 5th, 1885. 



[Plates XXVIII., XXIX.] 



CONTENTS. Page 



I. Introduction 143 



II. Description of the Specimens 145 



III. Comparison of the Croydon Bird-remains with those of other Eocene Birds 140 



IV. Comparison of Gastornis with Dinornis and other extinct Birds 152 



V. Gastornis compared with recent Birds 153 



VI. Table of Characters of the Tibio-tarsus of Birds 157 



VII. Description of Park-Hill Kailway Section 157 



VIII. Synopsis of British Eocene Birds 159 



I. — Introduction. 



THE discovery of the interesting fossil remains which form the subject of the present 

 communication is due to the zeal of Mr. H. M. Klaassen, who obtained them from the 

 " Woolwich and Reading Beds " of the Lower Eocene series, exposed during the exca- 

 vation of the Park-Hill railway-cutting, near Croydon. These fossils are unmistakably 

 avian, and show that, in early Eocene times, England was inhabited by a race of birds 

 which were at least as large as, and far heavier in build than, any recent Ostrich, and 

 must, indeed, have equalled in their proportions some of the more massive forms of 

 the New-Zealand Moas. There is no evidence, however, of their having attained to 

 the height of the taller species of Dinomis. 



A full account of the geological features of the Park-Hill railway-cutting is given by 

 Mr. Klaassen in his paper read before the Geologists' Association (Proceed, vol. viii. 

 p. 226, 1883), and the horizon from which these fossils were obtained is pointed out 

 below (p. 158). 



It was during the early part of the year 1883, when the excavation of the northern 

 part of the Park-Hill cutting was carried down to the "Blue" and "Mottled Clays" 

 (see section, p. 158), that Mr. Klaassen obtained some pieces of bone from the edge 

 of the middle basin-shaped " Lignite-bed " (g), and these he was good enough to bring 



1 Communicated by Prof. Plower, LL.D, V.P.B.S., P.Z.S. 



vol. xii. — part v. No. 1. — December, 1886. z 



