Vol. 6] Miller: Condor-like Vultures of Bancho La Brea, 



15 



remains nearly uniform in diameter until very near the head, where it 

 suddenly expands. This expansion to the head however is mainly on the 

 inner side, a condition which throws the center of the head far to the 

 inner side of the axis of the shaft and gives this end of the bone a 

 markedly goose-like appearance. The intercotylar tuberosity is very' low 

 and flat with gradual slopes in all directions. It has scarcely half the 

 development seen in Gymnogyps and Sarcorliamplxus. The excavation of 

 the shaft just below the head is deep and almost perfectly elliptical. The 

 attachment of the tibialis antieus appears as a pair of distinct papillae 

 below which the trough in the shaft is very deep and almost " U " 

 shaped in cross section. The edges of the trough are thus converted 

 into very narrow ridges. The furrow continues down the shank to 

 merge into the distal foramen. There are no intermuscular lines evident 

 on the anterior face, though the shaft here shows no corrosion. The 

 shaft widens very gradually to the foot and cotype No. 12600 shows the 

 two sides to be very nearly symmetrical in curvature. This condition 

 is in marked contrast with the asymmetry of the proximal end and with 

 the condition in the foot of Sarcorhamphus and of Gymnogyps. 



The two trochleae remaining on the type specimen are much more 

 slender than in the existing condors. In their anteroposterior planes 

 they exceed both the above mentioned species but the degree of lateral 

 compression is very great. The posterior surface of the shaft presents an 

 aspect very similar to that in Sarcorhamphus clarlei except that it is still 

 more narrow, more gradually tapering and the intermuscular line is 

 poorly defined. The surface between the two longitudinal limiting crests 

 is strongly convex as far down as the distal foramen. 



A view of the proximal articular surface brings out some very 

 characteristic features of the species. The tuberosity is scarcely evident 

 from this direction, the outer articular facet is but little if at all in arear 

 of the inner one and both facets have their longest axes almost parallel 

 with the sagittal plane. The depression posterior to the tubercle is 

 scarcely evident and the depression separating the hypotarsus from the 

 head is almost obsolete. The inner ridge of the hypotarsus projects back- 

 ward almost twice as far as does the outer one and the inner margin of 

 the hypotarsal "block" has the appearance of having been thrust over 

 toward the outer side. The posterior profile of the hypotarsus is much 



as in G. calif ornianus except as tilted outward by the more jH'ominent 

 inner border. 



Table of Measurements. 



Tarso-metatarsus. 



Total length 131.4 mm. 



Greatest transverse diameter of head 26.6 



Greatest sagittal diameter of head 25.00 



Greatest transverse diameter of middle trochlea 11.6 



Greatest sagittal diameter of middle trochlea 19.9 



Least transverse diameter of shaft 11.2 



Sagittal diameter at middle of shaft 11.2 



Width of partition between proximal foramina 2.2 



Transverse diameter of pit into which the proximal fora- 

 mina open 6.00 



Longitudinal diameter of the same 9.00 



