1912] Miller: Pacific Coast Avian Palaeontology 



97 



relatives occur in the southern hemisphere at a latitude corres- 

 ponding with the region of deposit in the northern hemisphere. 



Fossil Species Nearest Living Relative 



Phoenicopterus eopei Shufeldt Phoenicopterus ruber ? Linnaeus 



Ciconia maltha Miller Euxenura maguari (Temm.) 



Mycteria americana Linnaeus Mycteria americana Linnaeus 



Jabiru mycteria (Lichtenstein) Tabiru mycteria author 



Catharista occidentalis Miller Catharista urubu (Vieillot) 



Sarcorhamphus clarki Miller Sarcorhamphus gryphus Auct. 



Circus, sp Circus cenerens or C. maculosus 



Geranoaetus melanoleucus Auct Geranoaetus melanoleucus Anct. 



Geranoaetus fragilis Miller 



Polyborus tharus Auct Polyborus tharus Auct. 



Cases parallel with Morphnus in having their nearest related 

 Recent phase limited to more tropical zones are as follows : 



Fossil Species Nearest Living Relative 



Pavo californicus Miller Pavo eristatus or Meleagris ocellatus 



Morphnus woodwardi Miller Morphnus guianensis Auct. 



Geranoaetus grinnelli Miller Morphnus guianensis Auct. 



Micropallas whitneyi (Cooper) Micropallas whitneyi (Cooper) 



Geococcyx (?), sp JNeomorpha geoffroyi (Temm.) 



One of the striking features in the study of so representative 

 a series of deposits, all of so nearly the same age as are the 

 bird-bearing deposits of the Pacific Coast, is the total absence 

 of certain forms which one would expect to find therein. While 

 it is conceded that negative evidence in palaeontology is a frail 

 peg upon which to hang an opinion, yet the negation may be so 

 pronounced and so uniformly persistant that, in some cases at 

 least, the only conclusion possible is that species did not occur 

 in the region during the time of deposition. 



The particularly favorable conditions offered at Rancho La 

 Brea for the trapping of vultures and eagles has been commented 

 upon in a previous paper on the condors. There was exposed 

 at that place during an indefinite period a more or less con- 

 stantly baited trap which was unusually attractive to both vul- 

 ture and eagle. It was automatic in its operation, effective in 

 its hold upon the victim, and almost ideal in the preservation of 

 its catch, the remains of which were sealed from the air in liquid 

 asphalt while still in the flesh. The entire collection of raptorial 

 remains includes, however, no specimen of the royal vulture 

 (Gyparchus papa) or of the harpy eagle (Thrasaelus harpya), 



