286 



University of California Publications. 



[Geology 



beds. Other specimens have been found at several localities, 

 and at varying depths in the asphalt of Kancho La Brea. 



Besides the characters held in common with the existing pea- 

 fowls, the species shows the following peculiarities. Tarsus much 

 shorter than in P. muticus, actually stouter and hence much 

 more robust. Spur little shorter, much more slender, and placed 

 much higher up on the shank. Lateral toes raised higher above 

 the level of the middle toe. Tarsus longer than in P. cristatus. 

 Spur placed higher up. (See pi. 25.) 



Milne-Edwards, in his superb plates on the osteology of birds, 2 

 figures the tarsus of P. muticus, from which the form under dis- 

 cussion shows very positive differences. The following table 

 shows the dimensions of P. muticus, together with those of the 

 type and two other specimens of P. calif ornicus from the same 

 formation : — no. 11299, Univ. Calif. Col. Vert. Palae. and no. 

 165/1 of the author's collection, both imperfect; also the obtain- 

 able dimensions from a live specimen of P. cristatus. 

















s 















£ O) 













o 

 'w. >i 







•2 



Tarso-metatarsus 



ft,' 



C 







&; 









&; 



a,' 





Length over all (1) 



167 mm. 147 







131 



Distal end to spur base (2) 



48 



52 



56 



53 



46 



Eatio of (2) to (1) 



28% 



35% 







30% 



Transverse diameter of head 



22 mm. 23 









Transverse diameter through foot 





99 









Outer trochlea above middle one 



5 



6 



6 



6 





Inner trochlea above middle one 



8.5 



9 



8.5 







Least sagittal diameter above the spur 



10.5 



12 



13 







Least transverse diameter above the spur.. S 



8 



9.5 







Scrutiny of this table will sh 



ow some 



of the 



grosser 



differ- 



ences between the type of P. cali 



f ornicus 



and P. 



muticus 



The 



ratio of the total length to that of P. muticus is 



as .{ 



32:1, 



while 



the ratio of smallest diameters above the spur is 1.14: 1 for the 

 sagittal plane and 1 : 1 for the opposite diameter. We can thus 

 gain some idea of the robustness of the type. The spur occupies 

 a position relatively high up on the shank. The distance from 

 the extremity of the middle trochlea to the base of the spur core 



- Milne-Edwards, A., ' ' Oiseaux fossiles de la France, ' ' Paris, 1867-77. 



