26 HISIOHY OF 



fowl ; much more is still required — to be able to distinguish the 

 different kinds of birds from each other ; and even the varieties 

 in the same kind, when they happen to offer. This certainly is 

 a work of great difficulty ; and perhaps the attainment will not 

 repay the labour. The sensible part of mankind will not with- 

 draw all their attention from more important pursuits, to give it 

 entirely up to what promises to repay them only with a very 

 confined species of amusement. In my distribution of birds, 

 therefore, I will follow Linnteus in the first sketch of his sys. 

 tem, and then leave him to follow the most natural distinctions, 

 in eimmerating the different kinds that admit of a history or re- 

 quu'e a description. 



Linnaeus divides all birds into six classes ; namely, into birds 

 of the rapacious kind, birds of the pie kind, birds of the poultry 

 kind, birds of the sparrow kind, birds of the duck kind, birds of 

 the crane kind. The four first comprehend the various kinds of 

 land birds ; the two last, those that belong to the water. 



Birds of the rapacious kind constitute that class of carnivo- 

 rous fowl that live by rapine. He distinguishes them by their 

 beak, which is hooked, strong and notched at the point ; by 

 their legs which are short and muscular, and made for the pur- 

 poses of tearing ; by their toes, which are strong and knobbed ; 

 and their talons, which are sharp and crooked ; by the make of 

 their body which is muscular ; and their flesh, which is impure : 

 nor are they less known by their food, which consists entirely of 

 flesh ; their stomach which is membraneous ; and their manners, 

 which are fierce and cruel. 



Bu-ds of the pie kind have the bill differing from the former : 

 as in those it resembled a hook, destined for tearing to pieces ; 

 in these it resembles a wedge fitted for the purpose of cleaving. 

 Their legs are formed short and strong for walking ; their body 

 is slender and impure, and their food miscellaneous. They 

 nestle in trees, and the male feeds the female during the time of 

 incubation. 



Birds of the poultry kind have the bill a little convex, for the 

 purposes of gathering their food. The upper chap hangs over 

 the lower ; their bodies are fat and muscular, and their flesh 

 white and pure. They live upon grain, which is moistened in 

 the crop. They make their nest on the ground without art ; 

 they lay many eggs, and use promiscuous venery. 



