Vo l'8$. m ] Notes and News - 95 



for in the ordinary sense of the term Huxley was not an ornithologist. 

 As early as 1S64 he marshalled birds with reptiles under one grand divi- 

 sion, or ' province' of the Vertebrata under the name Sauropsida, opposed 

 on the one hand to the Mammalia, and on the other to the Ichthyop- 

 sida, consisting of fishes and amphibians. His principal and epoch-mak- 

 ing ornithological memoir appeared in 1867, entitled ' On the Classifica- 

 tion of Birds ; and on the Taxonomic Value of the Modifications of certain 

 of the Cranial Bones observable in that Class' (P. Z. S., 1867, pp. 415- 

 472. with 36 figs, in text; see also Ibis, 186S, pp. 357-362). This was 

 followed in 1S6S by his important paper ' On the Classification and 

 Distribution of the Alectoromorplue and Heteromorpha; (P. Z. S., 1868, 

 pp. 294-319, with a map and 16 figs, in text). These two papers may be 

 considered as his principal special contributions to the literature of 

 ornithology. While a synopsis of these papers is perhaps uncalled for 

 in this connection, it is of interest to note the insistence — then a novel 

 idea — here made (P. Z. S., 1867, p. 415) "that in all the essential and 

 fundamental points of their structure " birds so nearly approach reptiles 

 " that the phrase ' Birds are greatly modified Reptiles' would hardly bean 

 exaggerated expression of the closeness of that resemblance." Professor 

 Huxley's classification, as is well known, was based primarily, and, in 

 case of many of the minor groups, almost solely on the palatal structure, 

 thus giving prominence to an unquestionably important set of characters 

 previously almost overlooked. As is inevitably the case with any classi- 

 fication based on a single set of characters, the allocations here and 

 there are bound to be more or less unnatural, and Huxley's scheme is not 

 an exception. Yet the importance of his memoirs can scarcely be over- 

 rated, and their influence has been far-reaching. 



In common with most of the learned societies of the world, the Ameri- 

 can Ornithologists' Union has honored itself in its attempt to show 

 respect to Professor Huxley by enrolling him in its list of Honorary Mem- 

 bers, — as much perhaps in recognition of his eminent attainments in all 

 fields of biological research as in the special field of ornithology. 



Any notice of this great man would be reprehensiblv incomplete with- 

 out some further reference to his wonderful influence upon the scientific 

 thought of his time, and his rare gifts as a writer and lecturer. In his 

 battles for evolution he has upheld unflinchingly what he believed to be 

 scientific truth, and with a boldness and efficiency that has no parallel. 

 As a fitting conclusion to this brief notice may be added the following 

 selections from his own words: "To promote the increase of natural 

 knowledge and to forward the application of scientific methods of inves- 

 tigation to all the problems of life to the best of my ability, in the con- 

 viction which has grown with my growth and strengthened with niv 

 strength, that there is no alleviation for the sufferings of mankind except 

 veracity of thought and of action, and the resolute facing of the world as 

 it is when the garment of make-believe by which pious hands have 

 hidden its ugliest features is stripped off. 



