John Hogg, Esq., on the Classification of Birds. 71 



menced my distribution of the birds of Europe by the genus 

 Neophron, a bird endued with great vigor of flight, and have 

 concluded it by iliQ flightless Auk. It will also be observed, 

 how I have placed the subtribe Brevipennes intermediately 

 between the Longipennes on the one side, and the Imperfecti- 

 pennes on the other, and thus gradually leading from the 

 web-footed birds, possessing considerable power and swift- 

 ness of wing, to those which have almost no wings, or at 

 least are entirely deprived of the faculty of flying. For, in 

 reality, the wings of the latter are most imperfectly developed ; 

 being merely rudimentary, with scale-like feathers, and use- 

 less as instruments of flight, they are alone serviceable as 

 fins for the functions of swimming and diving. Thus we find 

 the birds comprised in my last family, Spheniscidw, or the 

 Penguins, in their form, habits, and marine mode of life, ap- 

 proximating most closely to the Turtles, or Amphibia, and 

 to the following class of Fishes. 



Lastly, in the preceding classification, the great increase 

 in the number of families may, at first sight, appear objection- 

 able to some ornithologists. But, on a further examination of 

 it, I trust, their objections will be removed ; because I feel 

 satisfied, that, by a more minute and extended division of the 

 birds into such groups, we arrive at a more perfect and 

 natural arrangement : and, at the same time, I consider it 

 to be the only accurate method of attaining to a full know- 

 ledge of the diff'erences presented in their organization. And 

 I am exceedingly gratified to find, that the view of that most 

 distinguished philosopher and observer of nature, Alexander 

 Ton Humboldt, precisely agrees with my own ; for, in his work 

 ** Cosmos,'" now publishing (vol. i., p. 388), he thus writes : 

 " In the natural history of birds and fishes, the system of 

 grouping into many small families is more certain than that 

 into a few divisions, embracing larger masses."" 



