YERTEBRATA. 223 



The lyre-bird (Menura, superba) is a very aberrant form, and has 

 been placed with the Gallinae. Its affinities are supposed to be 

 with Pteroptochidse or with Orthonyx (a gigantic wren in other 

 words), and also with the Birds of Paradise. Todus is another 

 peculiar form ; its nearest living allies, according to Murie, after 

 an examination of its skeleton, are the motniots and kingfishers. 

 Claus, however, confines it to its old place among the Tyrannidae. 



Although now much restricted (opinions differing as to its ex- 

 tent), the Pa.sseres are still the most numerous of all the orders 

 of birds, and, owing to their slightly varying characters, one of 

 the most difficult to classify. Wallace, recognizing four typical 

 forms of wings, proposes to classify them thus : primaries 10, 

 the first well developed (4), or ''reduced'' (1), or rudimentary (3), 

 and primaries 9 only (2). The typical or " Turdoid series " (1) 

 contains the great majority of families, the " Tanagroid series" 

 (2), the '' Sturnoid series '' (3), and " Porinicarioid series " (4) 

 comprise the remainder. The Passeres have also been divided 

 iuto " Acromyodi," in which the intrinsic muscles of the voice- 

 organs are fixed to the end of the bronchial half-rings, and 

 " Mesomyodi, 1 ' in which they join them at or near the middle. 



Taking the form of the bill, as is most commonly done, as a 

 practical character correlated in many respects with what is best 

 known to the ordinary observer, and omitting Fissirostres and 

 Levirostres, which are included in the Volitores, we have four 

 suborders : 



Bill elongate, slender, often curved TENUIROSTRES. 



Bill shorter and stouter, never curved. 



Bill notched at the tip DENTIROSTRES. 



Bill entire, or only obsoletely notched. 



Bill short, conical CONIROSTKES. 



Bill large, subconicai or compressed MAGXIROSTRES. 



TENUIROSTRES. Bill lengthened, slender, mostly curved, never 

 notched at the tip. Legs strong. 



Perching or "climbing" birds, living on small insects, larvae, 

 &c., which they do not catch on the wing. They have no song. 



Nectar iniida. Zosterops. Meliphaga. 



Dicseum. Promerops. Anthoinis. 



An'chreptes. Anthochasra. 



Arachnothera. Mcliphagidte. Prosthemudera 



Nectarinia = Cinnyris Myzomela- (Parson-bird). 



(Sun-bird). Grlyciphila. Tropidorhyuchus. 



