BIRDS. 173 



arrangement of Temminck, therefore, though his Orders are more 

 numerous than those proposed by Cuvier and Vieillot, yet the 

 Families of the latter are in much greater number ; and in an 

 elementary work it has been judged proper to follow that system 

 which involves the least change of the established nomencla- 

 ture as likely to be most generally useful. Temminck divides 

 the Class of Birds into sixteen orders, viz. 



I. RAPACES. Birds of Prey. ; 

 II. OMNIVOKES. Omnivorous Birds. 



III. INSECTIVORES. Birds which feed on Insects. ZjO 



IV. GRANIVORES. Birds which feed on Grains. 234 



V. Z YGODACTYLI. Birds with two toes before and two behind. 2 ^ 

 VI. ANISODACTYLI. Birds which have the exterior toe joined to 



the middle one at the base. 1^$> 



VII. ALCYONES. Birds with three toes before, united, and one be- 

 hind ; the tarsi very short. 2 b I 

 VIII. CHELIDONES. Birds with short legs, three toes before, divided, 



or only united at the base by a short membrane ; the back toe 



often reversible. 2-^i 

 IX. COLUMB^E. Birds with three toes before, entirely divided, and 



one behind. , 

 X. GALLINJE. Birds with three toes before, united by a membrane ; 



the back toe joined to the tarsus above the joint of the other toes, zjr/ 

 XI. ALECTORIDES. Birds with the tarsus long and slender; three 



toes before and none behind ; the articulation of the posterior one 



higher than those before, ft) 



XII. CURSORES. Birds with long legs, naked above the knee, with 



two or three toes directed forwards. 1 1 3> 



XIII. GRALLATORES. Birds with long and slender legs, more or less 



naked above the knee ; three toes before and one behind, the pos- 

 terior one jointed on the same level with the others or more ele- 

 vated. 



XIV. PINNATIPEDES. Birds with feet of medium length ; tarsi slen- 



der or compressed ; three toes before and one behind, with a ru- 

 dimentary membrane along the toes ; the posterior one joined in- 

 teriorly on the tarsus. 



XV. PALMIPEDES. Birds with short feet, more or less drawn up to 

 the abdomen ; anterior toes partly or wholly connected by a mem- 

 brane ; the posterior toe articulated interiorly upon the tarsus, 

 or totally wanting in some genera. 30^ 



XVI. INERTES. Birds with feet retracted into the abdomen ; three 



toes divided, before ; the posterior toe short, articulated interiorly. 32X 



Birds support themselves and direct their flight in the air 

 nearly in the same manner as fishes do in the water. But they 



