** MACKIE — ON FOSSIL BIRDS. 



207 



the same month, p. 128, etc., with an engraving (pi. i.), which was repro- 

 duced in the ' Bulletin de la Societe Philomathique.'for Fructidor, AnYIIL, 

 and afterwards in different foreign journals. On this occasion I learnt 

 there existed two others in the hands of a private person at Abbeville, 

 M. Elluin, engraver, who had also received them from Montmartre ; and 

 M. de Lametherie gave a copy, in the same number of his Journal (pi. ii.), 

 of a drawing sent him by Mr. Traulle. It was the body of one bird and 

 the leg of another. It was easy to see that the leg did not belong to the 

 same individual, and also that the incrusting stone came from another bed. 

 Such is the judgment of MM. Baillet and Traulle (Journ. de Phys. 

 Therm, an viii. p. 132), which M. de Burtin confirms in a note to a de- 

 scription of this fossil, published by M. Goret, of Abbeville (Trs. Soc. 

 d'Emulation). Having had the specimen for some time under our eyes, we 

 have assured ourselves of the correctness of this fact. There have been, 

 then, since 1800, four different well-marked fragments ; that of M. Darcet 

 makes the fifth. Since then I have continued my researches, and have 

 found such a great number that there can be no longer any doubt that our 

 plaster-beds contain many remains (beaucoup de debris) of birds." 



These specimens, which he had collected, Cuvier then goes on to 

 describe, beginning with the feet, "as being the most striking parts 

 even for least accustomed eyes." " Indeed," he continues, "the loot 

 of any bird whatever is composed in an absolutely particular manner, 

 and does not resemble that of any other animal." 



The specimens of fossil birds from the environs of Paris figured 

 and described by Cuvier are : — 



"1. A very complete leg and foot of a common species from the Gypsum 

 (vii.) * ; 2, end of tibia and foot complete of same species ; 3, foot of bird 

 from M. de Lametherie's cabinet (vi.) ; 4, fragments of the foot of a bird, 

 showing the first phalanges of the thumb and outside and middle digits, 

 probably the same species as No. 6 (iv.) ; 5, inferior mandible ; 6, copy 

 of Elluin's specimen ; 7, tarsal bone of a bird of the same species as 

 No. 11; 8, leg cf bird, showing the entire tibia, the thumb, and three 

 other digits very complete (vii.) ; 9, foot of bird of same species as 

 No. 11 (v.) ; 10, bird's foot described and figured by Cuvier in 1800 

 (viii.) allied to (vii.) species, and of the order Grallce (storks and herons) ; 11, 

 leg and foot of a bird much smaller than No. 4 (v.) ; 12, Darcet' s speci- 

 men, a different species from any other (x.) ; 13, the two sides of a badly- 

 preserved body, M. Elluin's specimen, drawn by Cuvier; 14, phalange of 

 a bird's foot of a larger species than any of the others (i.) ; 15, portion of 

 the wing of a bird, with the end of the humerus, the cubitus, the two car- 

 pal bones, the imprint of the apophysis of the metacarpal bone carrying 

 the thumb and the imprint of a part of another metacarpal ; 16, portion of 

 wing in the cabinets of M, de Lametherie, allied to the sea-larks {JPelidna, 

 Cuv.) (viii.) ; 17, rib of fossil bird ; 18, radius ; 19, radius (x.) ; 20, hume- 

 rus of littoral bird, anterior and posterior faces (iv. ?) ; 21, humerus (ix.) ; 

 22, humerus (ix.) ; 23, end of omoplate of a bird resembling, in diminutive, 

 that of a cormorant ; 24, femur of a bird near to the genus Pelican ; 25, 

 femur of a bird of the order Grallce and the genus Ibis ; 26, portion of the 

 trunk and both wings, and femur of a fossil bird (ix.) ; 27, well-preserved 



* The Soman numerals indicate Cuvier's species. Cuvier did not assign any names 

 to the species he indicated. 



