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Show 74 beak, gave ground for the reference of this species to the family of American vultures On excavating the matrix from the right nostril, I find that the nasal sop turn is present, and extends throughout the length of the nares, indicating at once its reference to the Falconida: The elongate gonys, inferior production of the nares, and stout tareo-metatarsus refer the form to the neighborhood of the Old World vultures, now properly regarded, after Huxley, as a division of the Falconida. This determination, although rather unexpected, is consistent with the presence of the Old World genera of deer, rhinoceros, & c., in the same fauna. It gives the first intimation of the presence of true vultures on the American continent. ? . A second species of rapacious bird is represented by bones of the fore limb, & c. Its size is about half that of the preceding species. f . The principal phalange of a third species of bird of the group of the was also obtained. TESTUDINATA. Lestudo undata, sp. nov. Two species of tortoises occur in association with the fauna described in the preceding pages, hut their remains are mostly found in a fragmentary condition. Hence, although I procured nearly all portions of the skeleton, in no case do they belong to a single individual. None of the fragments belong to species of any other genus, unless it be Stylemys. I possess the caudal vertebras and a metapodial bone of one of the species recognized, and the latter indicates in the clearest manner that it is a Testndo. It is wider than long, and totally different from the elongate metapodials of StyUmys. As already pointed out,* these have the form characteristic of the Emydidce, to which family the genus is to be probably referred. The caudal vertebras are few and short, and have the procoelian character. They are without chevron- bones. The greater part of a plastron was obtained, which I describe here, as it cannot be definitely referred to its proper species. It is quite thin medially, as in various Testu-das, and is not much thickened within the fore border, as is the case in many species of that genus and of Hadnanue. The bridge is thin and the axillary borders are « thickened, but not prominent inward. The end of a mesosternal bone is rather produced, and has not the lateral expansion seen in some Testudines and StyJemys Nebras-censis and J. XiobrarenHs. i A costal bone of uncertain specific reference is abruptly expanded at the proximal end, indicating the narrowing of the adjacent one. Its proximal end is transversely truncate, and on the inferior side is a slightly- elevated and compressed capitulum, whose long axis is in that of the costal bone. The costovertebral scutal suture at the intervertebral scutal suture is but little inflected; the intervertebral is straight. A vertebral bone picked up alone is wider than long; its form is subquadrate, with truncated angles and concave sides. The superior surface is smooth; on the middle line of the inferior is a longitudinal thin lamina, well produced downward, for suspension of the vertebra, resembling the arrangement I have shown to exist in Stylemys. This bone belonged to a tortoise or large size. It measures, length, 0m. 075; width, 0m. 090; thickness, 0m. 013. In all the marginal bones preserved they are seen to be united with the coBtals by a squamosal suture, and in no instance by gomphosis. The specimen which furnishes the characters of the Testudo undata includes portions or wholes of eight marginal bones and one costal. The former display a strong recur-vature outward, and their internal thickening is near their sutural union with the cos-tals. The borders are acute and do not display any emargination at either the dermal or osseous sutures. The posterior part of the margin of the posterior marginals is very convex or flared upward, descending at or behind the osseous suture. Thus the fore edge has an undulating form. The caudal marginal bone is recurved, not prominent, and with a regular entire free margin. Its lateral sutures expand forward, so that its margin is narrower than its anterior portion. It is not divided by dermal snture, consistently with the generic character. The surfaces of the bones are nearly smooth. The scutal sutures are wide, and have distinctly defined borders. The marginal near the bridge is remarkably massive; the bridgeward suture being twice as thick as that joining the free marginal. The size of the Textudo undata is as great as that of any of the species of land- tortoises of our Tertiary formations. Measurements. M. Length of free margin of three consecutive posterior marginal bones 310 Length of last marginal bone 122 Width of last marginal bone ". 135 Thickness at middle 017 Thickness of bridgeward suture of a lateral marginal 040 Thickness of opposite suture of same 015 * Extinct Batrachia and Reptilia of North America, 1870, p. 123. t Report of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories, ( 4to,) 1,225, tab. iii, fig. 4. |