ox CYPHORXIS, AN EXTINCT GENUS OF BIRDS. 
By E. D. Coi’E. 
The genus Cyphornis is established on a species of bird which is repre.sonted bv 
the superior part of a tarsoinetatarse. This fragment was obtained bv Dr. (ieorge M. 
Dawson from a bed of indurated greenish clay of unknown age from Vancouver is- 
land, and is the property of the Geologic Survey of Canada. The tarsoinetatarse 
is perhaps the most characteristic part of the skeleton of a bird, but under ordinary 
circumstances the determination of the present specimen might await better ma- 
terial, owing to its imperfect condition. The early ae([uisition of new material is, 
liowever, very uncertain, and as the characters are conspicuously peculiar, the best 
course seems to be to give it a place in the record. 
The fragment has about the diameters of the corresponding hone in the Amer- 
ican ostrich. The shaft is hollow, and is free from cancelli, and its walls are very 
thin. The three elements are distinguished by the presence of two septa, whose 
position shows that the lateral elements are of uneipial diameters and very much 
more slender than the median. The tibial articular surface is im])ertect, the lateral 
and part of the posterior border having been broken away, but the greater part of 
the internal face remains, together with the proximal end of the hypotarsus. 'fhe 
intercondylar tuberosity is large, and the surface posterior to it descends steejily to 
the proximal base of the hypotarsus. The external cotylus descends steeply to 
the anterior face, and is convex anteroposteriorly, but concave in an open groove 
transversely to the shaft. Posteriorly it descends steeply to the hypotarsus. form- 
ing a transverse obtuse ridge, wdiich is concave transversely. The proximal end of 
the hypotarsus is depressed below the level of the tibial faces. The anterior face 
of the shaft is concave, forming a wide open groove, bounded on each side by an ol>- 
tuse angle, that on the inteimal side becoming acute above. It is perforated proxi- 
mally by’ an enormous pneumatic foramen, Avhich shows only a trace oi vertieal di- 
vision at its distal part, deep within its cavity. The external Avail of thiscavity ri.se, s 
directly to the angular border of the shaft, Avhile the internal border is separated from 
the internal border of the shaft by a ledge-like continuation of the anterior face. The 
insertion of the flexor meiaUirsi ixw&ows is of moderate size, and is divided into tAvo 
unequal imrts by a shalloAv grooA’e. The posterior aspect shoAvs the basal jiarts of 
tAAm hypotarsal crests, Avhich have been broken aAvay. Of these the external is 
short and AAode, and the internal is longer and naiTOAver. From the latter the inter- 
nal side of the bone descends steeply, and Avith a gentle concavity, and then con- 
vexity, to the anterior lateral angular border. Nearer to the internal hyiiotarsal 
crest than to the interior border, issues the rather large and subround Internal pos- 
