9 



bulky animal. Many of the Kangaroos arc vciy small ; their 

 name, Kangaroo Rats, clearly shews this. 



The lowest of all the Marsupials, the Monotremata, containing 

 the two genera Ornithorynchus and Echidna, although larger than 

 some of the minute Rodents, are small animals. 



The rule holds good equally among the Birds, but the con- 

 ditions of Bird life are so intricate and involved, that it is not 

 very clearly seen. 



At the head of the Raptorial Birds stand the Falcons and Eagles; 

 the latter are among the largest Birds of flight. No one could 

 stand in the presence of an adult Imperial or a Golden Eagle 

 without feeling he saw one of the highest developments of Bird 

 lite. Man in all ages has felt this, and the Eagle has been used 

 as the emblem of majesty and power by many nations, both 

 Occidental, Em-opean, and Oriental, 



The Eagles are the largest in size of the Noble Birds of Prey. 



At the head of the Falcons are placed by all Naturalists as the 

 type of the group, the Gyrfalcons. These grand birds are the 

 largest of the Falcons and are highly developed, and so intelligent 

 and docile that a perfectly wild bird may be tamed and trained 

 to come to the lure of the Falconer in a few weeks. 



The Raven, among the Perching Birds, is one of the highest 

 developed and sagacious birds in existence, and it is also the 

 largest of the Insessores, except the Hornbills. 



It is scarcely necessary to multiply the instances of the truth 

 of the rule among the Birds, but the Osti'iches, a small group 

 containing only about sixteen species, ought to shew the rule 

 \\'ithin the limits of their own division, and I think they do so. 



All Naturalists have invariably placed the Ostrich at the head 

 of the Ratitee, or birds which have no keel to the breast bone. 



It is hardly necessary to say it is the largest species by far. 



The Emeu is usually placed next, and it is next in size. 



The Rheas and Cassowarys follow, the largest species of which 

 are five feet in height, but smaller than the Emeu, and are more 

 aberrant from the type. 



Lastly, the still more aberrant, lowly developed, and nocturnal 

 species of Apteryx are very much smaller than any of the species 

 named. The Apteryx Mantellii weighs but little more than four 

 pounds, and two other species are barely larger, and one Apteryx 

 Owenii is much smaller. 



In these five genera the Sjtccies of the Ostrich group at present 



