Measurements (in mm).—Distal ends of humeri (YPM 840, YPM 845, ANSP 15360, respectively): distal width 10.9, 10.1, 11.3; depth through dorsal condyle 5.7, 5.2, 5.5; width of shaft at proximal extent of brachial fossa 6.3, 5.5,6.4; length from distal end of pectoral crest to ventral condyle (ANSP 15360 only) 45.1; shaft width at midpoint (ANSP 15360 only) 4.7.
Proximal end of humerus YPM 850: proximal width through dorsal and ventral tubercles 13.1; depth through bicipital surface and ventral condyle 7.5, depth of head approximately 3.5.
Proximal end of ulna NJSM 11900: depth through dorsal cotyla 7.0.
Distal end of carpometacarpus YPM 840: depth at distal end 5.3; shaft width 2.9.
Distal end of tibiotarsus ANSP 13361: shaft width 3.5, approximate depth through medial condyle 6.9.
Distal end of tarsometatarsus NJSM 11853: distal width 6.1+; shaft width 2.7.
Pedal phalanx 1 of digit II: length 14.6; proximal width 3.0.
Comparisons.—This is evidently the most abundant bird in the New Jersey Cretaceous deposits. Hitherto it had been known only from the two distal ends of humeri that are the holotypes of Telmatornis priscus and T. affinis. Marsh (1870) did not clearly place Telmatornis with any living family but mentioned species of Rallidae, Scolopacidae, and Ardeidae in his comparisons. Hay (1902:528) listed the genus under the Rallidae. Shufeldt (1915:26) considered that Telmatornis was not a heron but might be related either to rail-like or charadriiform birds, the material, according to him, being insufficient for positive determination. He (1915:27) also described a larger species, Telmatornis rex, which we have removed to a new genus. Lambrecht (1933:489) maintained Telmatornis as a genus incertae sedis in his order Ralliformes. Brodkorb (1967) placed the genus in the family Rallidae, subfamily Rallinae, without comment. Cracraft (1972) established that Telmatornis did not belong in the Rallidae but was instead very similar to the Burhinidae. He synonymized T. affinis with T. priscus and created a new family, Telmatornithidae, for T. priscus and T. rex.
We concur in synonymizing T. affinis with T. priscus. The holotypes and the new specimen of humerus (ANSP 15360), which is instructive in that it preserves much more of the shaft ([Figure 6c]), are indeed very similar to the humeri in the Burhinidae. In size they are closely comparable to the small living species Burhinus vermiculatus (cf. [Figure 6g,h]). The fossils differ from Burhinus in having (1) the shaft less curved, both in dorsal and in lateral views; (2) brachial depression shorter, wider, and slightly more distally located; in distal view (3) the ventral condyle smaller and less rounded; and (4) the dorsal tricipital groove shallower.
The distal portion of the humerus of Telmatornis is similar to that in Presbyornis but differs in having (1) the dorsal condyle decidedly more elongate; (2) olecranal fossa much shallower; (3) ventral epicondyle in ventral view less distinctly demarcated but (4) more protrudent in lateral or medial view.