INTRODUCTION 6i 



changes and other physiological data supply, is the only sure basis of 

 classification." He was quite aware of the taxonomic value of the vocal 

 organs of some groups of Birds, presently to be especially mentioned, and 

 he had himself ascertained the presence and absence of cs^ca in a not 

 inconsiderable number of groups, drawing thence very justifiable infer- 

 ences. He knew at least the earlier investigations of L'Herminier, and, 

 though the work of Nitzsch, even if he had ever heard of it, must (through 

 ignorance of the langiiage in which it was written) have been to him a 

 sealed book, he had followed out and extended the hints already given by 

 Temminck as to the differences which various groups of Birds display in 

 their moult. With all this it is not surprising to find, though the fact 

 has been generally overlooked, that Blyth's proposed arrangement in 

 many points anticipated conclusions that were subsequently reached, and 

 were then regarded as fresh discoveries. It is proper to add that at this 

 time the greater part of his work was carried on in conjunction with Mr. 

 Bartlett, the present Superintendent of the Zoological Society's Gardens, 

 and that, without his assistance, Blyth's opportunities, slender as they 

 were compared with those which others have enjoyed, miist have been 

 still smaller. Considering the extent of their materials, which was 

 limited to the bodies of such animals as they could obtain from dealers 

 and the several menageries that then existed in or near London, the 

 progress made in what has since proved to be the right direction is very 

 wonderful. It is obvious that both these investigators had the genius for 

 recognizing and interpreting the value of characters ; but their labours do 

 not seem to have met with much encouragement ; and a general arrange- 

 ment of the Class laid by Blyth before the Zoological Society at this 

 time 1 does not appear in its publications, possibly through his neglect to 

 reduce his scheme to writing and deliver it within the prescribed period. 

 But even if this were not the case, no one need be surprised at the result. 

 The scheme could hardly fail to be a crude performance — a fact which 

 nobody would know better than its author ; but it must have presented 

 much that was objectionable to the opinions then generally prevalent. 

 Its line to some extent may be partly made out — very clearly,- for the 

 matter of that, so far as its details have been published in the series of 

 papers to which reference has been given — and some traces of its features 

 are probably preserved in his Catalogue of the specimens of Birds in the 

 Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which, after several years of 

 severe labour, made its appearance at Calcutta in 1849 ; but, from the 

 time of his arrival in India, the onerous duties imposed upon Blyth, 

 together with the want of sufficient books of reference, seem to have 

 hindered him from seriously continuing his former researches, which, 

 interrupted as they were, and born out of due time, had no appreciable 

 effect on the views of systematizers generally. 



Next must be noticed a series of short treatises communicated by 

 Johann Friedrich Brandt, between the years 1836 and 1839, to the 

 Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, and published in its Memoires. 



^ An abstract is contained in the Minute-book of the Scientific Meetings of the 

 Zoological Society, 26th June and 10th July 1 838. The Class was to contain fifteen 

 Orders, but only three were dealt with in any detail. 



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