John Hogg, Esq., on the Classification of Birds. 69 



But I must observe that notwithstanding these affinities 

 to the raptores, the parrot groups are essentially distinct 

 from both the diurnal and nocturnal subtribes of that order, 

 and therefore compose of themselves an extremely natural 

 order. 



The term '' Prehensores," or Holders, will be found ad- 

 mirably appropriate ; because, the parrots, of all birds, most 

 possess the faculty of catching hold of every thing ; in addi- 

 tion to the powerful hold which they always take with their 

 toes and claws, — and these, from their structure, are best 

 adapted to that purpose — they also hold, when in the act 

 of climbing, by their strong beak ; and, when about to eat, 

 they generally hold their food in one foot, and so raise it to 

 their mouth. Since the bill of the parrots, although hooked, 

 differs materially from that of the raptorial birds, by being 

 rounder in all its parts, I have consequently named the tribe 

 Fotundirostres. Indeed, in these birds the upper mandible 

 is likewise different in its anatomical structure, for it forms 

 quite a separate bone, and is articulated to the cranium. 

 The three subtribes, Lsevilingues, Hirtilingues, and Tubi- 

 lingues, are distinguished by the tongues being smoothy or 

 rough, sometimes even hairy, or tubular. I must, however, 

 observe, that a further knowledge of several genera of the 

 rotundirostral tribe is requisite, for the purpose of deter- 

 mining with greater accuracy the groups proposed in this 

 arrangement, as well as, in all probability, of adding other 

 new ones to it. The extra-European or foreign order of 

 Prehensores, comprising the Linnoean genus Psittacus, I have 

 here introduced, for the sake of completing my general classi- 

 fication of birds : all the rest of the foreign families and 

 genera can be included in my remaining ^re orders. 



Order III. Insessores. I commence the perching birds 

 with the Scansores, or climbers., as being most nearly allied 

 to those of the preceding order. Many of their habits are 

 similar ; and the division of the toes into two pairs or yokes, 

 which has been well termed zygodactyle, i. e., two fore-toes 

 and two hind-toes, is very much the same. In the arrange- 

 ment I have here proposed, the approximation of the genera 

 in each succeeding order to those in the one immediately pre- 



