14 CLASSIFICATION CHAR 



to trace in the briefest way the line which has led to the most 

 recent attempts, and to name those whose researches have pro- 

 duced the results which may be fairly regarded as attained. 

 First among them is Nitzsch (1806-1840), to whom followed 

 Merrein (1812-1817), and after a few years L'Herminier 

 (1827). These three worked quite independently, and in their 

 lifetime little notice was taken of their labours ; for, though 

 there were good ornithologists among their contemporaries, little 

 value was then set upon internal characters in this connexion. An 

 improvement took place when the great Johannes Mliller (1846, 

 1847) published his scheme for grouping the Passeres, which, 

 though based on purely anatomical facts, was almost immediately 

 accepted, chiefly through the simultaneous exertions of Dr. Cabanis, 

 by systematists of the Old School. For twenty years no advance 

 was made, for the morphological researches of Parker were not 

 directly taxonomical ; but Huxley (1867, 1868) started what 

 was practically a new line of investigation, though it subse- 

 quently appeared that up to a certain point it had been already 

 suggested by Dr. Cornay (1842-1847). The impetus thus 

 given was fortunately sustained, Huxley's example being followed 

 by Dr. Murie, and by two promising men, A. Garrod and W. 

 A. Forbes, both of whom died at an early age, leaving their 

 mark in work which, though much of it was crude, was that of 

 true genius. Mr. Sclater (1880) has tried to bring the results 

 of the whole four into harmony with pre-existing views, and 

 a similar attempt was that of Dr. Stejneger (1885); but all 

 were overshadowed by the monumental performance of Prof. 

 Flirbringer, whose Untersucliungen zur Morpliologie und Syste- 

 matik der Vogel, completed in 1888, must ever remain a record 

 of unexampled labour, while his considerations on the derivation 

 of Birds from Eeptiles, and of the later groups of Birds from the 

 earlier, whether his results be right or wrong, are of the utmost 

 importance to the ornithologist. During the progress of this 

 work the author was in frequent communication with Dr. Gadow, 

 himself engaged on the ornithological portion of Bronn's Thier- 

 Eeicli, and thus the opinions of each were in many cases mutually 

 affected. Dr. Gadow, on the completion of his undertaking, pro- 

 pounded a scheme of classification, which is followed, with some 

 slight modifications, in the present volume (see foregoing table) 

 it being, of course, understood that a linear arrangement is, 



