MACKEE — ON FOSSIL BIRDS. 
207 
tlie same month, p. 128, etc., with an engraving (pi. i.), which was repro- 
duced in the ' Bulletin de la Societe Philomathique,'for Fructidor, AnVIII., 
and afterwards in different foreign journals. On this occasion I learnt 
there existed two olliers 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 coipy, 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. Eaillet 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 {beaucouj) 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 foot 
of any bird whatever is composed in an absolutely particular manner, 
and does not resemble that of any otlier 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 J^o. 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 tlie 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 [Pelidna, 
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 dimin^itive, 
that of a cormorant ; 24, femur of a bird near to the genus Pelican ; 25, 
femur of a bird of the order GrallcB and the genus Ibis ; 26, portion of the 
trunk and both wings, and femur of a fossil bird (ix.) ; 27, well-preserved 
* The Roman numerals indicate Cuvier's species. Cuvier did not assign any names 
to the species he indicated. 
