of the United States* 9 



and Anseres, than toPAssEREs and Accipitres, notwithstand- 

 ing the beautiful series of links by which they are connected 

 with the latter ? 



Our first subclass is monogamous, whereas the second is 

 chiefly polygamous. The first feed their young, which are 

 born naked and with the eyes closed, and from their feeble and 

 helpless nature are confined to the nest ; while the offspring 

 of the second division, are able to run from the nest as soon 

 as hatched. This contrast proves the superiority of organi- 

 zation in the former; since it is well known, that those beings, 

 which are most elevated in the scale of nature, require the 

 greatest degree of parental care in their infancy. 



The characters of the Orders, and of North American 

 Families, are given in detail ; and none are in any case again 

 repeated under the Genera. 



In the short specific phrases, we have endeavoured to in- 

 clude such essential and differential characters, as will clearly 

 designate each species, not only from those of this country, 

 but from all others known. Synonyms from all the princi- 

 pal authors were added, to enable the student to refer with 

 readiness to all that has been published relative. to the birds 

 of this country ; but as they would have occupied too much 

 space in the valuable pages of the Annals of the Lyceum, 

 they are for the present omitted ; especially as many of the 

 most important may be found in our Observations on the No- 

 tnenclature of Wilson's Ornithology. We have, therefore, 

 only subjoined to each species, the name of the author whose 

 appellation we adopt, together with a reference to the Ame- 

 rican Ornithology ; and a select synonym only in those 

 cases where we have unfortunately been compelled to give a 

 new name to a species already known. 



An analytical table, constructed without reference to foreign 

 genera, is prefixed to the synopsis in order to facilitate the 

 search after the genus to which any North American bird may 

 belong. 



