FOSSIL BIRDS. 153 



in gypsum, tufa, salt, or other minerals, related by Volkman, 

 Lesser, Bruckmann, Baccius, Burner, Dargenville, and Bock, 

 even if true, would prove nothing for the existence of orni- 

 tholites. 



After all these exclusions, nothing remains but some debris 

 contained in certain schists, as those of GEningen, of Pappen- 

 heim, and of Mount Bolca, which have any pretensions to a 

 serious examination, or, in fact, which have even been con- 

 sidered as omitholites by any real naturalists. 



Now, all that is cited on this head is either more or less 

 equivocal^ or, at all events, unsupported by sufficient figures 

 or descriptions. These schists swarm with the bones of fishes 

 and other marine productions. How can it be supposed that, 

 in such situations, it is always possible to distinguish the bones 

 of fishes from those of birds ? What mode is there of judging 

 when no entire limb, when no part of sufficient importance, 

 remains ? 



The authority of M. Blumenbach must be considered as 

 having the greatest weight on a point of this kind. But all 

 he says is, that at CEningen were found the bones of water- 

 fowl. He refers us to the Memoirs of the Academy of Man- 

 heim for an account of the bones of Pappenheim; but all we 

 find there is a notice of a singular reptile (the pterodactylus) 

 and not of a bird, as M. Blumenbach says, of the order pal- 

 mipedes. 



It seems, in short, from a careful examination of the testi- 

 monies given by various writers on this subject, that no well- 

 authenticated bones of birds have been found any where, ex- 

 cept in the gypsum of Paris. 



It is not very long since these remains have been properly au- 

 thenticated. Lamanon, indeed, as long ago as 1782, described 

 the impression of an entire bird found at Montmartre by M. 

 Darcet. Were we to trust to the figure which he has given, 

 no doubt could remain on the subject, for it represents a bird 

 completely. He has even put feathers on the wings and tail. 



