EXPLANATION OF THE CHART OF THE ORDERS OF NORTH 



AMERICAN BIRDS 



The Orders of North American birds lend themselves with gratifying 

 readiness to the purposes of a landscape chart. In this way more than 

 any other known to the author can the greatest number of facts regarding 

 the Orders and their relationships be set forth in a manner easily under- 

 stood, and calculated to appeal to the eye. 



As with the mammals, the highest Orders are found in the tree-tops 

 and the air; and as nearly as possible the relative sizes of the various 

 Orders are shown. The birds of the highest and most perfect organiza- 

 tion appear at the top of the chart, and the lowest forms are those of deep 

 water, farthest from the land. 



The great size of the Order Passeres is strikingly apparent; and it is 

 situated in the tree-tops where its members live. 



The curious shape of the Order Macrochires is due to the fact that the 

 Goatsuckers, Swifts and Hummingbirds have so little in common that 

 they are well-nigh separated; but the larger body — the Hummers — are 

 closely related to the Perching Birds. 



The Order Coccyges is composed of two groups equally ill matched, 

 the Cuckoos and Kingfishers. The former touch the Perching-Birds, 

 the latter the sharp-beaked fishers; but the association of the two in one 

 Order is not satisfactory, and not likely to stand. 



The Orders Columbae, Gallinae and Paludicolae are found on the 

 uplands, immediately above the Limicolae, or Shore Birds. 



The Herodoines (Herons, Egrets and Bitterns) range along the shore 

 from the sea, up the river, to the interior lake, while the Anseres — Ducks 

 and Geese — cover lake, river and sea. 



The Flamingo's Order — Odontoglossae — is of the shallow water of 

 an estuary, connecting the Herons and Ducks. 



The Steganopodes (Cormorants, Pelicans, etc.) prefer the shallow 

 waters of the sea, while the Gulls and Terns (Longipennes) range from 

 shallow to deep waters. 



The Tubinares (Albatrosses, Fulmars, etc.) and Pygopodes (Auks, 

 Murres and other weak- winged divers) are birds of deep water. 



For obvious reasons, it has not been considered a practicable matter 

 to include on a landscape chart the birds of the world, or even those of 

 South America. 



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