OCR Text |
Show 1890.] ON BONES FROM THE NITRATE BEDS OF PERU. 375 Fig. H. Ommatidium of A. spitiosus, from a teased and depigmented preparation. 12. Vitreous body of A. brunneus, from above. 13. Ommatidium of A. brunneus, from a teased and depigmented preparation. 14, 15, 16. Transverse sections through ommatidium of A. furcatus at different levels. 4. Note on the Bones of small Birds obtained by Professor Nation from below the Nitrate-beds of Peru. By E. T. N E W T O N , F.G..S., F.Z.S. [Received April 17, 1890.] At the meeting of the Zoological Society held on the 14 th January, 1890, Dr. Sclater exhibited some bones of small birds sent to him by Prof. Nation in a small quantity of guano-like earth obtained from " beneath the nitrate-beds of Peru." At present we have no information as to the precise locality where these specimens were found, and although the nitrate is now being extensively worked, little seems to be known as to the age of the deposits; some account of them, however, has been published by Mr. Ralph Abercrombie in 'Nature' (June 20 and July 25, 1889), and he alludes to the fact that there is "in some deposits a layer of guano under the caliche (nitrate);" but this is not always the case. The specimens were handed to me by Dr. Sclater for further examination, and by sifting the guano several other bones were found, so that there are now for examination portions, more or less complete, of the following:-3 femora, 4 tibio-tarsi, 7 metatarsi, 2 or 3 fragments of pelvis, 8 humeri, 4 ulnae, 3 metacarpals, and 2 coracoids. The only portions of the head found are the curved extremities of 3 upper bony beaks, a fragment of a horny beak, the hinder ends of two mandibular rami, and a quadrate bone. There are also portions of 3 vertebrae. With regard to the lengths of the long bones, it is only the femora and metacarpals which are quite entire, but by comparing the different examples of each of the other bones, a tolerably accurate idea of their length may be obtained, and the following measurements were made before I had seen those of the Cymochorea leucorrhoa given by W . A. Forbes (Memorial Volume, p. 426, 1885), which are bere reproduced for comparison. Bones from below Cymochorea leucorrhoa, nitrate-bed. after Forbes. millim, millim. Femur 16 16 Tibio-tarsus 371 37 Tarso-metatarsus 25-30 24 Humerus 37-42 35 Ulna 35-40 35 Metacarpal 20 manus 42 Coracoid 13-15 26* |