278 LINN^US. 



Including a few additional species mentioned in 

 the appendix to the third volume, and the Man- 

 tissa of I77I;. the number of Mammalia known to 

 Linnaeus was about 230. At the present day, more 

 than 1000 species are described. 



The second class, that of Birds, is divided by 

 him into six orders, the essential characters of which 

 are derived from the bill and feet, as follows : — 



I. AcciPiTRES : Birds of Prey. The bill more or less 

 curved, the upper mandible dilated or armed with a tooth- 

 hke process near the tip; the feet short, robust, with 

 acute hooked claws. 



II. Pic^. The bill cultriform, with the back convex; 

 the feet short, rather strong. 



III. Anseres : Web-footed Birds. The bill smooth, 

 covered with epidermis, enlarged at the tip ; the toes 

 united by a web, the legs compressed and short. 



IV. Grall^ : Waders. The biU somewhat cylindri- 

 cal ; the feet long, bare above the knee, and formed for 

 wading. 



V. Galling : Gallinaceous Birds. Bill convex, the 

 upper mandible arched over the lower, the nostrils 

 arched with a cartilaginous membrane. Feet with the 

 toes separated, and rough beneath. 



VI. Passeres : Small Birds. Bill conical, sharp 

 pointed ; feet slender, the toes separated. 



It may here be remarked, that this arrangement is 

 liable to many objections, and especially because the 

 characters given to the orders are totally inapplicable to 

 many species contained in them. Thus, the vultures, 

 which belong to the first order, have no projecting 

 processes on the upper mandible ; the parrots, which 

 are referred to the second, have the bill hooked, not 

 cultriform, and bear no resemblance to the other spe- 



