18 INTRODUCTION. 



Order. 



6. Gemitores, Cooers : Pigeons. 



7. Degluhltores, Huskers, or thick-billed granivorous birds, 



as Finches, Buntings, Larks. 



8. Vagatores^ Wanderers, as Crows and Starlings. 



9. Cantatoi'es, Songsters, as Thrushes, Warblers, Wrens. 



10. Scansores, Climbers, as Woodpeckers. 



11. Beptatoresy Creepers, as Creepers and Nuthatchers. 



SECTION III. AYES GRALLATORI.E. WADING BIRDS. 



12. PalpatoreSy Gropers, as Rails, Gallinules, Coots. 



13. CursitoreSy Runners, as Plovers. 



14. ExploratoreSy Probers, as Snipes and Curlews. 



15. ExpectatoreSy Watchers, as Herons. 



SECTION IV. AVES NATATORI.E. SWIMMING BIRDS. 



16. Cribratores, Sifters, as Geese and Ducks. 



17» UrinatoreSy Divers, as Grebes, Divers, Auks, and Guille- 

 mots. 



18. Mersatores^ or Plungers, as Gannets, Gulls, Terns. 



19. Spoliator eSy or Robbers, as the Jagers. 



Each of these orders contains several families, under which 

 the genera are arranged. 



The species of each family may be disposed in a circular man- 

 ner, or parallel to each other, or in various ways ; and many of 

 the families may be viewed as representing each other in their 

 several stations. Thus, the Rasores or Scrapers are analogous 

 to the Cribratores or Sifters, as well as to the Palpatores or 

 Gropers ; and the Ra^tores of the first section are represented 

 by the Vagatores of the second, the Serpent-eaters of the third, 

 and the Spoliatores of the fourth. All the genera, in fact, may 

 easily be arranged in a circle, and that so as to preserve seve- 

 ral of their affinities. It is not, therefore, of much importance 

 whether we commence our descriptions with one class or ano- 

 ther ; and, for various reasons, I prefer beginning with the Ra- 

 sores, the first order of the Terrestrial Birds. 



In describing the birds of a very small portion of the globe^ 



