Through the courtesy of the Southwest Museum and the California Institute of Technology, I have been privileged to study the bird remains fram Smith Creek Cave, a limestone cave near Baker, Nevada. A general account of the excavations ß during July and August, 1934, has been written by M. R. Harrington (Masterkey, 8, 1934, pp. 165-169), leader of the expedition during which the field work was done, and does not need to be repeated here. This cave deposit, like the many others of its kind which have come to light within the last few years, is questionably Pleistocene. The Pleistocene horse is present and, among the birds, two species described originally from the Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea. These are Vultur clarki (Miller) which has clever before been recorded outside of California, and Coragyps occidentalis (Miller), known also from Conkling Cavern in New Mexico. It has been remarked before that the presence of Coragyps in any great numbers, contrasted with an absence or scant representa- tion of Cathartes, is indicative of the Pleistocene. However, in this case, though Cathartes is absent, Coragyps is represented by .a single fragmentary tarsomctatarsus, so that its presence, though important, is not as instructive as might be desired. A third extinct species of bird occurs in this deposit. This is a large 'eagle which does not agree with any other species, living or extinct, with which I have ß been able to compare it. Unfortunately, it is represented with certainty only by the distal end of the tarsometatarsus. A nearly complete femur, a fragmentary proximal end of the tibiotarsus and several phalanges of eagles are also found, but it is prob- able that at least the femur and one of the phalanges are of Aquila chrysatos. The tibiotarsus appears too large for Aquila and likely may belong to the different eagle in question; however, it is too fragmentary tO furnish any definite information about the species. The most marked characteristics of the tarsometatarsus are its large size and conspicuous facet for metatarsal I. The size is ßsuggestive of Thrasagtus harpyia, though upon comparison it does .not quite equal this form in breadth of distal end ,and is not so heavily built nor so rugose. Comparisons were made also .with Pithe- cophaga ]efferyi; the breadth across the trochleae in the specimen. of Pithecophaga examined does not equal that of the cave bone, but the general build of the bone is similar. However, detailed characters indicate no real relationship of the two forms. Other species compared .were Haliaetus leucocephalus, H. albicilla, Thalas- soatus pelagicus, Neogyps errans, Morphnus woodwardi, Morphnus guianensis (.cast), Buteo (Geranoagtus) mdanoleucus, B. borealis, Urubitlnga fragilis, Aquila chry: santos, $pizatus grinnelli, and 8. ornatus. For the opportunity to examine speci- mens of' many of these species I am indebted to the American Museum of Natural History, to Dr. A. Wetmore and the United Staxes National Museum, to Dr. Loye Miller, and to Mr. A. J. van Rossera, in charge of the Donald Dickey collection. After a careful comparison of the cave tarsometatarsus with these forms, it appears that the nearest relationship is to be found with $pizatus and Aquila, with the balance in favor of the former. I have noted in previous studies that Aquila and 8pigatus have many characters in common, and for that reason I have used the subfamily 'term, Aquilinae, in discussing them in an earlier paper (Howard, Car- negle Institution of Washington, Publ. 429). The tarsus under consideration appar- ently belongs to this subfamily and is sufficiently dose to $pigatus to warrant placing it in that genus. The only living species of 8pi.agtus which attains a size large enough to agree with the cave specimen is 8. bellicosus of SOUth Africa. The chances of identity of the Nevada species and the living South African bird are remote. 'rhe cave bird is therefore here described as Spizatus willetti, new species TYpe.--Distal end of tarsometatarsus, slightly broken at edges of internal and external trochleae. Specimen no. 1791, collection of California Institute of Tech- nology; collected by M. R. Harrington; trench 5, depth 2 to 4 feet, Smith Creek' Cave' (loc. 251), 34 miles north of Baker, White Pine County, Nevada; Quaternary age. Deseription.--Mot striking characters are large size and conspicuous facet for metatarsal I, which is Placed high above distal end. Detailed characters follow: ß (1) Archirig of trochleae similar to Sp/zagtus (well-arched, but less markedly so than 'in AqgiIa). (2) Distal contour of trochlea for digit 2, in both lateral and distal aspects, nearly straight, having only a very gentle curve as viewed distally (closest to Sp/zagus ornaus in this respect; S. grinnelli and Aqi/a slightly indented near the tip). (3) Median trochlea with' external edge noticeably more developed antero-pos- teriorly than internal edge (this is true of both Spizagtus and Aqgil). (4) External ridge of trochlea for digit 4 projecting as a slender flange well posterior to the internal ridge (development of external ridge varies in the different species examined, from the short stubby form in M. u'oodwardi and Thrast?tus to the long slender type, similar to the fossil, found in Aquila and Spizatus). (5) Shaft narrowing slightly above trochleae (closest to Spizatus; Aquila narrow- ing decidedly). (6) Facet for netatarsal I located high on shaft, facing more laterally than is the case in other species examined; facet long and, although not hollowed as in Thrasat,, is so excavated as to cause a noticeable indentation in outline of internal Fig. 40. Tarsometatarsus of Spiza?tus willertl, Calif. Inst. Tech. coil. no. 1791. Type specimen, natural size: o, anterior view; b, distal viexv; c, posterior view. Photograph by H. Win. Menkc, retouched hy John L. Ridga.. edge of shaft as seen in posterior view. High position of facet relative to breadth of distal end agrees with certain specimens of Thcasatus, Pithecophoga, and Spizats. There is some variation in this ratio within a species, enough so that it might be possible to include Aq,ila in the list. However, in such forms as Haliactns Icuco- cephalus and H. albicilla, Thalassootus pelogics, Morphines woodwardi and Butco ß melanolecus the facet is definitely lower in position. (7) Tendinal groove on anterior face wide and clearly marked, though not sharply edged, the shaft rounding away from it gradually on external side. Although the character of the groove itself is similar to SpizaPt,s, the rounded edge oœ the shaft is not duplicated in any specimen at hand. Unfortunately the bone is broken away on this side, so that its exact contour is lost. (8) Anterior surface of shaft, on internal slope, slightly concave and devoid of ridges (Spizatus closest in this regard, but appears a little more rugose toward internal edge). (9) Contour of internal edge of shaft, above facet for metatarsal I, slightly concave. the shaf curvin? ouwar0 at point where bone is broken, thus precluding possibility of bone being of long, straight type such as found in Morphnus voodward or 12nteo; shape more on the order of Halioctus, Aquila or Spizats, though not identical with any of them. (10) In posterior view, internal edge of shaft, above metatarsal facet. rounding posteriorly to slightly overhang posterior face of shaft, as in Aq.ila and Spizagtus; other forms vary from a curved, though not overhanging, edge, as in B.teo, to the flaring type found in Thrasagtns and Pithccophoga. Measrements.--Greatest'breadth of distal end, approximately 8.5 mm.; breadth of distal end across anterior edge of trochleae, 23.2; height of metatarsal facet, 40.0; depth of external ridge of middle trochlea, 13.0; depth of internal ridge of middle trochlea, 11.3; breadth of shaft at distal foramen, 18.2. The species name is chosen in honor of Mr. George Willett, ornithologist of the Los Angeles Museum, whose interest and assistance not only in the matter of the specimen at hand, but in the many problems that beset the comparativ.e osteologist, have been deeply appreciated. Los ,tngeles Museum, Los ztngele, California, March 8, 1935.