BILL, BODY, and FooD, as in the former; FEET made for wading, naked more or less above the knees; TOES cloven, but pinnated or webbed the whole of their length; NEST large, of leaves, grass, or water plants, in moist grounds, and often close to the water; monogamous.

BILL various; Bony rather depressed, conic; the FLESH of the young savoury; LEGS very long, made for wading; THIGHS naked the greater part of the length; Toɛs furnishe I half way with a membrane; FooD obtained from the water, as small fish and insects; NEST placed on the ground; monogamous. 95 Recurvi97 Phœnicop. Flamingo,

rostra.

96 Corrira.

Avoset,
Courier,

- 4

Pedibus brevioribus,

terus.

With short legs.

2

- BILL smooth, covered with a skin enlarged at the base;

FEET made for swimming; SHINS short, compressed; the TOES

united by a membrane; BoDy fat; SKIN tenacious, covered with excellent feathers; FLESH, for the most part, savoury; FOOD water-plants, fishes, reptiles; NEST chiefly on the ground, seldom on trees; the mother rarely broods the young; for the most part, polygamous.

Darter,

It may be here useful to the student to observe, that in the preceding arrangements, the ORDERS and GENERA have but one name for each, respectively; as, for example, ACCIPITRES or the Hawks, and FALCO or the Falcon genus. Naturalists have, however, found it extremely convenient, in describing the SPECIES of each genus, to give the generic and the specific name together, in order to that correctness of identification, without which our science would bé vague. Thus, to distinguish the Golden Eagle from others of the same genus, but specifically different, it is called Falco Chrysaetos, and so of all the rest of the tribe of Birds. This, at first sight, might seem a cumbrous nomenclature, but, if it be examined without prejudice, its utility will be, it is presumed, apparent. Indeed, in our Common Nomenclature of Birds, we have adopted, in part, a similar, yet by no means so accurate, a method: thus we have the House Sparrow and Hedge Sparrow, the Woodlark and Titlark, the Water Rail and Land Rail, &c. &c. Some additional observations relative to this subject will be found in the Preface, which sce.

Having adverted to several systematic arrangements of

concerning it will, of course, consult Mr. MAC LEAY, and the learned and luminous papers of Mr. VIGORS before mentioned. It may, however, be necessary to premise in reference to the first diagram, that one of the families, the RAPTORES, is still incomplete; this future inquiry may probably fill up. It may also be mentioned here as a singular coincidence, that Mrs. BARBAULD, in a poem written many years ago, expressly alludes to a quinary arrangement of Birds in the following lines:

"Who the various nations can declare

That plough with busy wing the peopled air?

These cleave the crumbling bark for insect food;(Insessores.}
Those dip the crooked beak in kindred blood; (Raptores.)
Some haunt the rushy moor, the lonely woods; (Grallatores.)
Some bathe their silver plumage in the floods; (Natatores.)
Some fly to man, his household gods implore, (Rasores.)
And gather round his hospitable door,

Wait the known call, and find protection there,

From all the lesser tyrants of the air."

By this arrangement, the first division of the whole family of Birds, consisting of INSESSORES, RAPTORES, RASORES, GRALLATORES, and NATATORES, might be considered as CLASSES, the division of each of which into five might constitute ORDERS; and the division of each of these again into five might constitute the GENERA. So that, if the Raptores should, by subsequent discovery, be completed, the CLASSES, according to this arrangement, will be five; the ORDERS twenty-five; and the GENERA one hundred and twenty-five.

It appears, however, that MR. VIGORS thinks, by his observa. tions in his Lectures at the Zoological Society, the quinary system is applicable to the more minute subdivisions of nature, and that the genera and species, &c, will be found to correspond in similar and continuous subdivision.

The Arrangement of Birds

Proposed by NICHOLAS AYLWARD VIGORS, ESQ. A.M. F.L.S.

Mr. VIGORS divides the Falconidæ into five sub-families, thus:

Aquilina or the EAGLE TRIBE.

Accipitrina or the HAWK TRIBE.
Falconina or the FALCON TRIBE.

Buteonina or the BUZZARD TRIBE.

Milvina or the KITE TRIBE.

The whole of the INSESSORS as in the following diagram.

These he again subdivides into fives; among which we find, as sub-families, Merulina or the THRUSH TRIBE; Oriolina or the ORIOLE TRIBE; Sylviana or the WARBLER TRIBE; Alaudina or the LARK TRIBE, &c. &c.

The following is the arrangement of the INSESSORES, or Perchers, according to Mr. MAC LEAY'S plan of exhibiting a series of affinities.