84 



his own observation, and their solution was entirely an empirical process. 

 Guided by this character Prof. Huxley makes three orders, which he calls — 



1. SAVKfR.K, containing Archa-opteryx (extinct). 



2. Katit^ „ Ostriches and tlieir allies. 



Apteryx (extinrt). 



3. CAR1NAT2E, divided into 4 Sub-Orders — 



SUBOnUEKS CONTAINS 



1. Dromaognathw Tinamous : American bird ; head 



like Emeu. 



2. Schisognalhai Cranes, plovers, pigeons, poultry, 



gulls, auks, penguins. 



3. Desmognathce Birds of prey, ducks, geese, storks, 



herons, ibises, pelicans, parrots. 

 i. JEgithognathoi Passerine birds ana Swallow tribe 

 Goatsucker, swifts, humming birds. 



This arrangement separates the order Cakinat/E into suborders, the first of 

 which contains only a single family allied to the ostriches, as far as its cranium 

 is concerned, and to the Gallinaceous birds by the rest of its structure. The 

 second sub-order (Schizognathce) has a space in the roof of the mouth, between 

 the vomer and the palate-bone, into which a knife may be passed forward. 

 The third sub-order ( Desmognathcc ) has no open space into which a knife might 

 be passed. The fourth sub-order ( yEgitlwgnatha) has an intermediate arrange- 

 ment between the second and third sub-order. It contains all the Passerine 

 birds and Hirundines, and Humming birds. Of this classification I know but 

 little, but I must say it seems at first sight strange to sep.arate such birds aa 

 the Gulls, Auks and Penguins from the Dack tribe, or the Cranes from the 

 Storks and Herons. Such a separation one would imagine could not be natural, 

 and I confess I for one was quite content with the old arrangement consisting 

 of the orders — 



1. Kaptores .... Hawks, Eagles, Owls Birds of prey. 



2. SCANSORES Parrots, Woodpeckers Climbers. 



!> n.^^,„^ fPoultry, Pheasant, ) Poultry and Game 



3. GALLING ^ Q^o^^^ , birils. 



4. PASSERES .... { ^' Tlirush, &c°''.': I Sparrow-like birds. 



c n„„,„„^t, (Ostrich, Emew, \ Runners : some ex- 



5. CURSORES I Apteryx / tinct birds. 



f Stork, Woodcock, -j Waders, with long 

 C. Grallatores. < Heron, Crane, J- tarsus 



I Snipe, &c j 



T ■N-.r^.o^^^x.o ( Ducks, Gulls, Pen- \ Swimmers, with 

 7. Natatores .. I gui'a, &c.. I webbed feet. 



All which orders contain natural families and are based upon the clear and 

 obvious characters of the bill and the tarsal arrangements. 



EXPERIMENTS ON SWIMMING BLADDEPv OF FISHES. 

 I pass on to notice an account of some experiments on the swimming- ' 

 bladder of fishes, according to which, after the puncture of the bladder and the 

 severing of the muscles which act upon it, and even after its complete removal, 

 the fishes appeared to be able to rise to the surface or descend with perfect ease ; 

 so that it would seem as if the bladder was by no means an essential adjunct 

 to swimming. 



