CLASSIFICATION OF MAMMALIA. 187 



savannahs. Thus then, with Linnaeus, I place the Bruta, or 

 rather the whole order of Ungulata to which they belong, 

 opposite to the Grallatores. 



u Four orders in each class being now disposed of, it follows 

 by parallelism of analogy, that the Glires ought to be placed 

 opposite to the Basores. But setting theory aside, — is this 

 position true in fact* ? 



" Linnaeus, from the above-mentioned error in his series of 

 affinity, considered the Basores to be analogous to his group 

 of Pecora. But this group, according to Aristotle and Ray, 

 is only a subdivision of Ungulata, which have, I consider, 

 been now proved to be analogous to the Grallatores. If, 

 therefore, Linnaeus be right in making his Bruta analogous 

 to the order of Wading Birds, it follows that his Pecora must 

 be so also. 



" The analogy of the Basores to the Ruminating Animals 

 was first, I believe, mentioned by Linnaeus in the ' Systema, 

 JVaturce.' It has since his days been copied and copied, until 

 now it almost becomes a sort of heresy to inquire into its 

 accuracy. I am not, however, aware that any reason for this 

 analogy has ever been assigned, beyond the fact, — that one 

 order affords the principal part of those birds which are do- 

 mesticated by man for purposes of food ; and the other, the 

 principal part of quadrupeds which are destined to the same 

 purpose. Now, granting even this domestication not to be 

 the work of art, but to be an analogy really existing in nature, 

 I would observe, — setting the whole family of Anatidcc aside, 

 — that the Glires afford us many eatable or domesticated ani- 

 mals, such as the Capromys and Rabbit ; and the Grallatores 

 afford us similar instances in the Snipe and Psophia. If some 

 Basores be said, like the Pecora, to have ornamental appen- 

 dages to the head, so it must be remembered has the Crowned 

 Crane ; whereas no rasorial bird is truly horned, like the Pa- 

 lamedea. But it may be worth while to take into consideration 

 successively the grand characteristics of the Basores, as given 

 by ornithologists to distinguish them from all other birds. 



" The Basores are, properly speaking, frugivorous birds ; 

 by which I do not mean eating fruits only, but all manner of 

 seeds or grain. Now this character of being frugivorous ap- 

 plies much more to the Glires than the Ungulata, which are 

 truly herbivorous, and only feed on grain in an artificial or 



* " The ancient name of Struthio Camelus, as well as the form and habits 

 of the Ostrich, show indeed a relation of analogy to the Camel ; but then 

 we are to recollect, in the first place, that the Ostrich is at the osculant 

 point or confines of the orders of Grallce and Rasores ; and secondly, that 

 such slight variations of the parallelism of analogy often appear, although 

 I think it possible that even these are subject to rule." 



