224 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



relationship to the passeres, as say the hornbills 

 and hoopoes, or the rollers or woodpeckers. 



One word more, these various groups do not 

 permit of arrangement in linear series. They are 

 not related one to another like so many steps in a 

 ladder. As we have shown in chapter X. in 

 speaking of the old fossils ichthyornis and hesper- 

 ornis, the evolution of two quite different forms 

 may be going on at one and the same time. 

 Rather, the scheme of evolution should be re- 

 garded as tree-like. The existing species maybe 

 regarded as the leaves thereof — the fossils being 

 the branches from which they have derived ex- 

 istence. Our endeavour is to trace these leaves 

 back to the newly formed twig, and this back 

 to the branch, the branch to the main stem, and 

 this to the root. Finally, we have to analyse the 

 soil in which the tree is rooted. 



CHAPTER XII. 



PEDIGREES — THE FOUNDERS OF THE HOUSE. 



If a bird could tell us of its ancestry and of its 

 ancient lineage, of the stock which gave birth 

 to its distinguished house, it would have to lay 

 aside all " pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy," and 

 put on the garment of humility. For, however 

 distinguished now, its origin was lowly. 



The birds are a branch of that more humble 

 house of interesting, but ugly, people — ugly, at 

 least, by comparison — yclept reptiles. 



Two claimants have been pushed forward as 



