Order 6. PALMIPEDES. 239 



[Here, at the close of tlie great series of Ground- Birds, as of the Perchers, may be intro- 

 duced a few brief remarks on the classification of these animals, as wan-anted by the present 

 state of information. The divisions are not all so strongly characterized apart as the four 

 principal groups or orders already specified ; but chiefly because certain genera stand forth 

 from the rest, and will not (so far as we can perceive at present) satisfactorily range with any 

 of the others. Preserving the same form of nomenclature as before adopted, as less objection- 

 able than any other that we can de^^se, the various groups of Ground-birds (as the vast 

 majority of the foregoing extensive series may be appropriately denominated,) fall into six 

 principal divisions, which may be designated as follow : — 



V. Gemitores {Cooers) — the Pigeons; an order strongly characterized by the whole 

 internal anatomy, and not less so by the outward conformation. It is perfectly distinct from 

 the contiguous orders, to which it is linked by no intrinsically connecting species. 



VI. Rasores {Ground-scratchers) — the Poultry : a group sufficiently cognizable in its 

 totality, but not easy to subdivide in such a manner as to exemplify the relative value of its 

 various genera. 



VII. CvRSOKES {Runners) ; or the Brevipennes of Cuvier. 



VIII. Calcatores {Stampers) ; or the Pressirostres and Longirostres of our author, 

 comprising the numerous genera with soft and flexile bills, more or less prolonged, the greater 

 number of which lay four eggs, which they dispose crosswise, &c. &c. The name alludes to 

 the habit which many of them display, of stamping Avith the foot, to cause the worms on 

 which they feed to rise. 



IX. Gradatores {Stalkers); or the Cultrirostres of Cuvier. 



X. hKTiTOKES {Skulkers) ; or the Macrvdactyli. 



Each of these appears to us to constitute a distinct and natural order, possessing various 

 distinguishing characters ; and we suspect that every genus of Ground- birds will ultimately 

 prove, when its characters have been sufficiently studied, to rank in one or another of them. 

 As a whole, they form a series, analogous to those of the Perchers and Swimmers.^ 



THE SIXTH ORDER OF BIRDS,— ., 



THE PALMIPEDES,— 



Have the feet organized for swimming ; that is to say, placed far backwards on the bod)', with 

 short and compressed tarsi, and webbed toes. They are further characterized by a close and 

 polished plumage, impregnated with oil, and by a quantity of down next to the skin, which pro- 

 tect them from the water in which they pass most of their lives. They are the only birds in 

 which the neck is longer than the legs, which is sometimes the case to a considerable extent, 

 for the purpose of enabling them to search for food in the depths below, while they swim on 

 the surface. Their sternum is very long, affording a complete guard to the greater portion of 

 their viscera, and having on each side [generally] but one emargination, or oval foramen, 

 filled up with membrane. They have most frequently a muscular gizzard, long coeca, and a 

 simple inferior larynx ; which last is in one family, however, inflated into a cartilaginous cap- 

 sule. [So many exceptions occur to the foregoing generalization respecting the stomach and 

 cceca, that it might advantageously have been omitted.] 



This order subdivides tolerably well into four families, of which that of 



The Divers {Brachypteres) — 

 Presents, in certain of its species, some [very superficial] tokens of relationship with the Galli- 

 nules. The position of their legs, which is farther backward than in any other birds, renders 

 walking difficult, and obliges them to maintain, when upon land, an upright attitude. As the 



