Letters, Announcements, 6fc. 357 



Sir, — While thanking you very heartily for the kind and appre- 

 ciative criticism of my paper " On the Classification of Birds " 

 which you have published in ' The Ibis ' for January last, I 

 should like to be permitted to say a few words in reply. 



In the first place let me express my satisfaction that you have 

 drawn attention to Dr. Cornay, who undoubtedly deserves all 

 the merit which may attach to the perception of the classificatory 

 value of the palatine bones. As I have taken occasion to ex- 

 plain privately to Dr. Cornay, it was a matter of much regret 

 to me to find that I had overlooked his paper. My only excuse 

 is, that the many ornithologists (yourself among the number) 

 before whom I had the pleasure of placing my notions, not only 

 when they were brought before the Zoological Society, but on 

 other occasions, seemed to be of one opinion as to their novelty, 

 whatever they might think of their truth. 



Next I may be permitted to congratulate myself that you go 

 as far with me as you do, and that, whatever you may think of 

 the method I have employed, you agree in what I regard as the 

 most important results of the application of that method. 



For I perceive that you make no objection to the division of 

 the Class Aves into the three primary divisions or " Orders " of 

 Saurura, Ratitce, and Carinata, which are wholly based upon 

 osteological characters. 



With respect to the second, however, you remark (p. 91), 

 " Therefore the single-headedness of the quadrate is not a dis- 

 tinctive character of the Ratitce ; and, indeed, it seems to me 

 very doubtful if any of the other so-called ' characters ' of the 

 palatal structure are of much greater value in distinguishing 

 between the Ratitce and the Carinata;" and again (p. 92), " I 

 therefore venture to submit that the palatal structure does not 

 sufficiently furnish Ordinal characters." 



But where have I suggested that it does ? In giving the 

 characters of the Saurura, the palate is not mentioned, for the 

 good and sufficient reason, that we know nothing about it, if for 

 no other. And, in the characterization of the Ratitce and of 

 the Carinata, the vomer and palatines occupy a very subordinate 

 place. 



I think that in every complete definition of a natural group 



