Dec. 20, 1888] 



NA TURE 



179 



Order. 



Archornithes 



Struthiormthes 

 Rheornithes ... . 



IIlPPALECTRYORXn HE 



i'EL.VKGORNITHES. 



Sub-or-ier. 

 Archaeopterygiformes 



II. 



Struihioniformes 



Rheiformes 



Casuariiformes 



Intermed. S. O. /Epyornithifoimes .. 

 Intermed. S.O. Palaniedeiformes 



Anseriformes 



Podicipitiformes 



Ciconiiformes 



Intermed- S.O. Prucellariiformes 

 Intermed- S O. Aptenodytiformes ... 

 Intermed. S.O. Ichthyornithiformes... 



CLASSIS AVES. 

 I.— Subclassis Saururae. 



Gens. 

 Archncoptei-yges. 



Subclasbis Ornithurae. 



Struthiones. 



Rhese. 



Casuarii = Dromoeus 



'Epyornilhes. 



+ Casuarius + Dromomis. 



Ch.^radriorxithes 



Aeectoi^ornithes 



CORACORNirHES 



.. Charadriiformes 



Intermed. S.O. Gruiformes 



Intermed. S.O. Ralliformes 



( Apterygiformes ... 



^ Crypturiformes ... 



( Galliformes 



Intermed. S.O. Columbiformes . 

 Intermed. S.O. Psittaciformes 

 ' Coccygiformes ... 



Pico- Passeri formes . . . 



Halcyorjformes 



Coraciiformes 



Palamedere. 



f Gastornithes. 

 \ Anseres s. Lamellirostrcs. 

 i Enaliornithes. 

 •j Hesperornithes. 

 ( Colymbo-Podicipites. 

 / Phoenicopteri. 

 ) Pelargo-Htrodii. 

 \ Accipitres. 

 ' Steganopodes. 



Procellaria; s. Tiibinarcs. 



Aptenodytes s. Impennes. 



Ichihyornithes. 



Laro-Limicolse. 

 Parrae. 

 Otides. 

 \ Eurypygse, incl. Rhinochetus, Aptoriiis. 



\ Grues — Grus + Psophia -f Cariama. 



/ Fuiicarise = Heliornis 4- Rallidje. 



\ Ilemipodii = Mesites + Hemipodiidse. 



Apteryges = Apteryx + Dinornis. 



Crypturi. 



Galii = Gallidoe + Opisthocomidce. 



{ Pterocletes. 



\ ColumbDC. 



Psittaci. 



Coccyges = Musophagidse + Cuculidoe. 



Intermed. G. Galbulx, incl. Bucconidse ? 



^Pico-Passeres.|P^^'-^^^^^ 



J Makrochires. 



' Coiii. 

 Intermed. G. Trogones. 

 ( Halcyones. 



^ Bucerotes, incl. Upupa. 



{ Meropes. 



Intermed. G. Todi. 



( Coraci<E. 



- Caprimulgi. 



/ Striges. 



coracoidal features ; it would therefore have to be grouped 

 with the Ratitae if we wanted to degrade this e.Kpression 

 to a collective term for cases of converging analogies or 

 isomorphism, and thus deprive it of any phylogenetic 

 meaning. The characters which mark Hesperornis as an 

 Aptenornith are secondarily acquired, whilst all the rest 

 of the bkeletal characters indicate its close affinity with 

 the European Enaliornis, and amongst recent birds with 

 the Colymbidie and Podicipedidae. This relationship 

 receives its final e.xpression by the establishment of the 

 order Podicipitiformes. 



These Podicipitiformes, with the Anseriformes and with 

 the Ciconiiformes, are combined in one big order, Pelarg- 

 ornithe^. In proportion as the first two of these orders 

 appearcircumscribed and natural the Ciconiiformes appear 

 heterogeneous They are made to contain the Phcxjnico- 

 pteri, Pelargo-Herodii, Steganopodes, and the Accipitres 

 or diurnal birds of prey. The close affinity of the 

 Phcenicopteri with the Pelargi is beyond doubt, and so is 

 that of the Storks and Herons, and that of the latter with 

 the Steganopodes. But how the Accipitres should be 

 related to the other three or four gentes seems less 

 clear. However, we must not forget that already Garrod 



had arrived at similar conclusions. Fuerbringer holds 

 that the Cathartidae are a very old and now declining 

 Raptorial family, and that they have many structural 

 points in common with the Ciconiidae, whilst the Gypo- 

 falconids exhibit genetic relations with the Steganopodes 

 (Fregata) and with the Ardeidae. Gypogeranus had 

 formerly (Miocene of France) a much wider distribution 

 than now, and it is the last remnant of a group which 

 branched off from the common Accipitrine Stork before 

 the division into Cathartidae and Gypofalconidie took 

 place. 



Steganopodes are known to have existed in the earliest 

 Eocene period, and are now on the decline ; lowest amongst 

 them itand now the Pha^tontidas, highest the Fregatidae. 

 Their luther striking affinities with the Accipitres have 

 already been mentioned, perhaps they are as distantly 

 connected with the Pelargo-Herodii. 



Pelargo-Herodii. — Plataleida; form the lowest type, and 

 afford some points of connection with the Limicolae ; 

 Ardeidie, the highest and most flourishing family, exhibit 

 various characters by which we might trace their pedigree 

 towards the roots of Colymbus, Haliaeus, Falco, and 

 others. This diversity of connections indicates either 



