455 
CHAT ER eres 
PASSERINES. 
Tue Passerines (from passer, the Latin for sparrow) form the least 
natural group of the Aves. Here one seeks in vain for the homo- 
geneous characteristics which distinguish the preceding races. Indeed, 
it is difficult to detect the bonds which connect them together. For 
example, where is the link which unites the Crow to the Swallow, or 
the Hornbill to the Humming-bird? Nevertheless, all these winged 
creatures, so different externally, belong tothe Passering. It may be 
said that this order presents only negative characteristics, bringing to- 
gether in a somewhat odd assemblage all birds which are neither 
web-footed, wading, gallinaceous, climbing, nor rapacious. The only 
physical feature common to all Passerines on which much stress can 
be laid, is that the outward toe is united to the middle one more or 
less. ‘Their food consists of seeds, insects, and fruit. They live 
singly or in pairs; they fly gracefully and easily ; their walk consists 
of a leap ; and they build their nests and take their rest under the 
thick foliage of trees, or under the eaves of buildings. 
In this extensive group we find most of the songsters whose 
melodious voices so charmingly wake the echoes of the woodlands. 
Some of them have even the gift of imitating the human voice, and 
the cries of wild animals. Many are remarkable for their brilliant 
plumage ; others are appreciated as delicacies for the table. Man 
has reduced numbers of them to comparative tameness, but has alto- 
gether failed in bringing them to a domestic state. 
Cuvier divides the Pusserine into five great famililes—the Syndac- 
tyles, Tenuirostres, Controstres, Fisstrostres,and Dentirostres. The first 
is based on the structure of the feet ; the other four on the formation 
of the bill. But this classification is very arbitrary, as it is not always 
possible to assign a place to certain groups by an inspection of the 
beak alone. We shall, however, follow this distribution, as being 
that generally adopted. 
