32 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 86 



divide every major group into smaller ones down to the 

 species. System and genealogy pursue absolutely different 

 purposes and must be coordinate. 



He points out the contradiction between calling the former 

 a natural system and the other one an artificial one, because 

 nature builds up no such categories, but creates individuals 

 only. Nature has the desire to vary, the inclination to 

 divergence and the wiping out of dividing lines. The point 

 is evidently well taken, but we can not see why later on he 

 then speaks against Trinomialism, at least in part. 



Dr. Reichenow's system is as follows: 



1st Row. Ratitae: Short-winged birds, i.e., birds without 

 a keel on sternum and rudimentary wings. 



2nd Row. Natatores: Swimmers. Characteristic is the 

 webbed foot. Exceptions : Anseranas with split toes and Fre- 

 gata. 



3rd Row. Grallatores: Stilt footed birds. Characteristic 

 is the foot, tarsus not feathered, bill without cere. Excep- 

 tions : Scolopax, which has the tarsus feathered, webs be- 

 tween the feet have Droma, Recurvirostra, Cladorhynchus and 

 Phoenicopterus. 



4th Row. Cutinares: Cerebills. Bill with a cere, feet 

 often raptorial or fissorial. A cere is found in the Parrots, 

 but their feet are not raptorial. 



5th Row. Fibulatores : Pair-toed birds. Birds with climb- 

 ing feet. 



6th Row. Arboricolae: Treebirds. Forms of feet are char- 

 acteristic ; bill without cere, except Caprimulgidae, which have 

 an incomplete or rudimentary cere. 



This system is certainly scientific and simple. Of course 

 difference of opinion will continue, but Dr. Reichenow's is as 

 good as any that has been advocated and has the advantage 

 that it is more in conformity with the classification of other 

 classes of animals. 



Dr. Reichenow then proceeds to tell us that the last inter- 

 national congress of zoologists has modified the law of priority 

 in regard to names, i. e., to retain certain well-established 

 names, as Falco, Buteo Psittacus and others, regardless of 



