600 Descriptions of the Groups of Birds 



sibly away through a series of species. Which is the more 

 important to trace, in order to arrive at the basis of a sound 

 classification, I leave to the philosophic naturalist to deter- 

 mine. 



There may be some difference of opinion as to which con- 

 stitutes the more " experienced ornithologist," to possess an 

 acquaintance, altogether superficial, with a vast number of 

 species, or to know a moderate number, perhaps including all 

 the different types or models of structure comparatively well. 

 For of what avail, may I ask, is it for Mr. Swainson to assume 

 a lofty tone in asserting that his notions are deemed " theo- 

 retical" merely for want of sufficient information to. compre- 

 hend them, when it can be demonstrated, by reference to every 

 detail of internal structure, that many of his groups are com- 

 posed of the most heterogeneous materials, respectively se- 

 vered from the forms with which they intimately correspond : 

 and that, consequently, his bases being unsound, the entire 

 superstructure, however plausible and ingenious, must neces- 

 sarily be fanciful and frivolous ? Surely it requires no ex- 

 traordinary amount of information to discover, on actual com- 

 parison of entire specimens, whether the systematic relations 

 predicated of them, from examination of their exterior only, 

 be real or imaginary! And if, on subjecting them to the cru- 

 cial test of anatomy, the assigned station and associations 

 prove to be altogether palpably erroneous, as I have shown 

 to be the case with Mr. Swainson' s allocation of the todies, 

 of the hoopoes, &c, and as I shall have occasion to show in 

 numerous other instances, why then, are those who detect and 

 expose such fallacies to be accused of "a captious and dispu- 

 tatious spirit, " because they of course refuse to yield implicit 

 deference to the dicta of what they must feel and know to be 

 very questionable (even because biassed) authority ? No ! — 

 Let the charge of deficiency of needful information to be able 

 to form a correct judgment be transferred, or at all events 

 extended, to the party proved to be in error ! 



It is easy enough to dogmatise ; to make assertions with- 

 out sufficient proof; to affirm, for instance, as Mr. Swainson 

 does repeatedly, that Phitotoma constitutes a satisfactory link 

 between the finches and the touracos ! merely because, like 

 the latter, it happens to have serrated mandibles ; and on this 

 slender ground alone (so far as I can discover) to bring the 

 Musophagidae into the "circle" of Conirostres: or to pronounce, 

 with Sir E. Bromhead (p. 486), that " Psittacidce are Psitta- 

 cidae-Picidae ; Cuculidce are Cuculidce-Certhiadce, &c. ! — But 

 Phitotoma, it so happens, is in every detail of its conforma- 

 tion a member of my distinct order Cantores, just as widely 



