472 Mr. N. A. Vigors on the Natural Affinities 



we inclined, for instance, to fix our attention upon one character 

 only, such as that of the poAvers of the voice, we might draw a 

 line across the contiguous tribes of Dentirostres, Conirostres, 

 and Scansores, which would separate into one group all the birds 

 which are endowed with the faculty of singing or talking. The 

 Merulida, Sylviada, Fringillida, the Sturnida, CorvidcB and the 

 Psittacidce, would thus be segregated from the rest as exclusively 

 distinguished by these characters ; the three former including 

 all the birds which are capable of producing the notes peculiar 

 to the class, the three latter all those which can imitate the voice 

 of man. Were we, again, to make such a character as that of 

 feeding on the wing the foundation of a group, we might equally 

 set apart all the birds accustomed to that mode of life by a circu- 

 lar line, which would include within its circumference the conti- 

 guous families of Cinnyridce and Trochilidce, all the Fissirostres, 

 together with the Muscicapidce, in conjunction with the Tyranni, 

 Dicruri, and the Piegrieches Hirondelles which adjoin them. 

 We might resort to the same mode of grouping various con- 

 tiguous families by means of such characters as climbing while 

 they take their food, of using their tongues when feeding, of 

 possessing gressorial feet, and numberless similar peculiarities 

 both of anatomy and economy, on which I cannot at present 

 dwell, but which will readily suggest themselves to the experi- 

 enced ornithologist. It is thus, in fact, that by following not the 

 arbitrary division of organs or properties, but their method of 

 variation, we can reconcile the different modes in which systema- 

 tists, from adopting partial views of their subject, have separated 

 or united their various groups. And thus it is, that, while we 

 admit their views to be partially correct, we have some grounds 

 for drawing the conclusion, that the more comprehensive mode 

 of combination which embraces all their various plans and recon- 

 ciles their otherwise discordant systems, has some claim to be 



considered 



