Mr. VIGORS then divides the FISSIROSTRES, as will be seen in the last diagram, 'as follows:-Meropida; Hirundinida; Caprimulgida; Todida; Halcyonida.

And he adds, "the families which compose this tribe are distinguished from those of all the others, except the Tenuirostres, by their habit of feeding on the wing. From the latter, or suctorial birds, which meet them at one of the extremes of the tribe, and of which the typical families feed also on the wing, they are distinguished by their animal food, which they take by their bills or in the gape of their mouths; while the Tenuirostres live chiefly upon vegetable juices, which they extract with their tongue. The Fissirostres, depending so much on the powers of their wings, exhibit a proportional deficiency in the strength of their legs." There will not be much difficulty in converting the terms proposed by Mr. VIGORS (whose scientific tact has been, in this respect, peculiarly and very happily exemplified) into English ones; a consideration to those who are concerned in the introduction of a new nomenclature of the first importance. Thus, of the five CLASSES, the Raptores might be RAP'TORS; Insessores, INSES'SORS; Rasores, RA'SORS; Grallatores, GRALLA'TORS; Natatores, NATA'TORS. The Quinary subdivisions or ORDERS composing the Raptors, may be FAL'CONIDS, VUL'TURIDS, STRIGIDS, Insessors, DEN'TIROSTS, CON'IROSTS, FIS'SIROS IS, TENU'I ROSTS, and SCAN'SORS; the Rasors, COLUM'BIDS, PHASIAN'IDS, CRA'CIDS, TETRAON'IDS, and STRUTHION'IDS; the Grallators, CHARAD'RIADS, GRU'IDS, AR'DEIDS, RAL'LIDS,

; the

and SCOLOPA'CIDS; the Natators, LAR'IDS, PELECAN'IDS, ANAT'IDS, AL'CADS, and COLYM'BIDS. And, again, the genera composing the Fissirosts may be MER'OPIDS, HIRUN'DINIDS, CAPRIMUL GIDS, TO'DIDS, and HALCYON'IDS, and so also of all the other genera. The singular of any of the preceding will of course be formed by the simple omission of the s. Thus, should this new nomenclature very generally prevail, it might ultimately supersede all other arrangements, and obviate, in some degree at least, the difficulties which present themselves to a beginner in the study of this branch of Natural History. We could proceed even farther in the use of the preceding terms: the minor might become an adjective to the major: and Vulturid Raptor, Dentirost Insessor, Phasianid Rasor, Scansor Insessor, or Cuculid Scansor, &c. may be aptly applied, and would convey at once the generic and ordinal, or ordinal and classic connection, mutatis mutandis.

It may be observed here as a curious fact, that by far the greater number of the Pie and Sparrow tribe in this country, and perhaps elsewhere, generally lay five eggs; the Rook, the Crow, the Hedge-sparrow, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Thrush, &c. &c. Those who are advocates of the Quinary arrangement will doubtless advance this in corroboration of the system.

These then are the chief arrangements which offer as most worthy of notice in the study of the Natural History of Birds. It is greatly to be lamented that no one system has yet appeared which, by its utility and simplicity, promises to supersede all others. It is however very probable that the primary arrangements proposed by Mr. VIGORS will ultimately prevail; but ingenious as those arrangements are, in an elementary work, like the present, it does not become me to adopt them to the exclusion of others which

have yet considerable hold of the public mind. I must content myself with exhibiting, I hope, a faithful sketch of the science as it actually exists, rather than of what I could wish it to be.

I take leave of this part of my subject by cautioning the student not to attribute too much importance to any system of ornithology; against devoting too much attention to the means instead of the end, which, of course, is the acquisition of the knowledge of the forms, colours, habits, songs, and man, ners, of Birds; and lest, in so doing, he should incur the censure of ST. PIERRE, “Nos ornithologistes, enchainés par leur methodes, ne songent qu'a grossir leur catalogue, et ne conoissent, dans les oiseaux, que les pattes et le bec. Ce n'est point dans les nids qu'ils les observent, mais à la chasse et dans leur gibecierè.*

From the limits to which I am confined, it will be quite impossible to enter into a minute description of the anatomy of Birds; but it may be observed generally, that their different structures admirably correspond to the very different functions for which they are adapted. The palmate feet of the Water-birds enabling them to move on and in that element with dexterity; the wings of many of the land Birds, particularly of the Eagle, the Pigeon, and Swallow, enabling them to take swift and long flights with the greatest ease; while again, those whose chief characteristic is running, such as the Ostrich or struthious tribe, have their legs and feet well adapted for such purposes, their wings being comparatively of little use. While others again, such as many of the Waders, and some of the Perchers, both fly and run with considerable speed.

One of the chief characteristics of Birds is, of course, the

* Etudes de la Nature, tom. iii., page 506, Hamburgh edit. 1797.

covering of FEATHERS. Of these there are three kinds, the Down, most abundant in the aquatic tribes, particularly the Duck, Goose, Eider Duck, &c.;-the small feathers, which fall over each other like the tiles of a roof, and thus conduct away the water;-and the quills; these last form' the wings and the tail, the largest of which, in the wing, are called primary, and are usually about eight or ten in number; the smaller are termed secondary; and the smallest, by some naturalists, are called tertial. From the first kind, the primaries, most of our writing pens are obtained; and, it may be mentioned, that these vary much in their shape and size, so that those conversant with the quills of Birds, generally know and esteem the third quill for a writing pen as the best; it being one of the longest and largest.

The feathers of birds are, in general, renewed annually; the process of renewal, termed moulting, takes place, it is said, generally during the autumn and winter; and, by the return of spring it is completed, and the plumage looks fresh and beautiful. It is also in some birds considerably altered in colour at certain seasons, particularly that in which the operation of procreation takes place; so that, without an acquaintance with the fact, the birds would not at such times be at all recognized as the same seen at another season; and, generally, it may be stated that the plumage of all birds, in European climates at least, is most vivid, intense, and striking, in the spring, as if nature designed that the season of love should be that in which health, vigor, and beauty, may at once predominate.

Some of the annually migratory birds, such as the Nightingale, Mr. SWEET informs me, moult twice in the year, namely, in spring and autumn: the reason for this would seem to be, that as such birds take, most probably, long flights, both, at their coming and departure, their feathers

are then in the best condition for such journies. But on this subject, as well as on numerous others in Natural History, we want a record of more observed facts relative to Birds in their NATURAL STAte.

The moulting season, however, of Wild Ducks, Wild Geese, Teals, Widgeons, and other water fowl, seems to be, by an act of parliament relative to these Birds, (10 G. 2, c. 32,) from June 1 to October 1; and, certainly, it appears more natural and agreeable to the bird that its feathers should be shed when the weather is warm than at any other period. The time in which this process takes place may be, and frequently is, considerably altered by art and domestication.

Birds are sometimes, during this natural process, very much indisposed; at least those in confinement are so. The bird-catchers of London have a method of producing an artificial moulting of Birds, by shutting them up in a dark cage for a month, with little or no food, closely wrapt up in woollen, allowing their dung to remain to increase the heat. This process is called stopping. By it, 1 understand, many a suffering bird is destroyed; but, it is said, the song and plumage of those who survive are much improved by the operation. Words are inadequate to designate the cruelty and folly of such practice.

As connected with the feathers of Birds, it may also be appropriate to observe here, that they have a gland, or rather two glands, united by one excretory duct, où the rump, about which grows a small tuft of feathers somewhat like a painter's pencil. In these glands is secreted a mucous oil, which can be pressed out by the bill of the bird. Whenever therefore the feathers are discomposed, the bird, turning its head backward, catches hold of the glands with its bill, and forces out the oil, with which it anoints the feathers, and