No. 1.] NORTH AMERICAN PASSERES. 107 
tirely governed in such matters by osteology alone, but will be 
more or less influenced by other considerations, such as our 
knowledge of the habits, range, nidification, anatomy of the 
various systems, plumage of young, and general morphology of 
the species dealt with. 
At the commencement of the present paper, I gave a list of 
the passerine families arranged in the order given in the A. O. U. 
Check-List, starting in with the 7yrannzde, and ending with the 
Turdide, the first supposing to represent the least specialized 
types in their organized structure, and the last the highest. 
Now I will here give a scheme of the same families, rearranged 
in accordance with the facts sent forth above, and other data 
in our possession, and follow this rearrangement by a few words 
in its defence. 
ORDER, SUB-ORDERS, FAMILIES. 
¢Clamatores . Tyrannide. 
Laniide. 
Ampelide. 
Hirundinide. 
. Alaudide. 
Certhiide. 
. Vireonide. 
. Motacillide. 
. Sylviide. 
Io. Coerebide. 
11. Mniotiltidae. 
12. Cinclide. 
13. Troglodytide. 
14. Turdide 
15. Paride. 
16. Tanagride. 
17. Fringillide. 
18. Icteridz. 
Ig. Sturnide. 
20. Corvide. 
ON AM BW DN 
Ne) 
PASSERES 7) Oscines . 
Professor Alfred Newton, F.R.S., has advanced very cogent 
reasons for placing the Corvide at the head of the Passeres, 
already cited above, and the present writer fully coincides in his 
opinion, and further believes with that eminent authority, that 
the Raven should lead the family. Corvus corax has a skeleton 
of the highest type of oscine organization, a statement that 
