CLASSIFICATION. 49 



tures, Falcons, Owls, &c. 2d. Piece, or Pies, divided into those with 

 feet formed for perching, for climbing, for walking ; here we 

 have the Magpie, the Jackdaw, the several members of the corvus 

 or Crow tribe, &c. 3d. Anseres, or Geese, divided into those with 

 bill toothed, and bill without teeth. 4th. Grallce, or Waders, 

 divided into those which have feet four-toed and three-toed. 

 5th. G-allince, or Poultry. 6th. Passeres, or Sparrows, which 

 order has four divisions, viz. : those with the bill thick ; the upper 

 mandible somewhat hooked at the point; upper mandible notched 

 near the end ; bill straight, simple, tapering. 



CUVIEE'S SYSTEM. 



Here, too, we have six orders of birds, and subdivisions grounded 

 as in the above system, mainly on the organs of food and pre- 

 hension, that is, the beak and toes ; the arrangement, however, 

 is somewhat different, and the orders more subdivided. 1st. Birds 

 of Prey, with strong hooked beak and sharp claws, divided into 

 those which fly by day as Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, &c. and 

 those which fly by night,* as Owls, &c. 2d. Climbers, with two 

 toes or claws, before and behind, as Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, 

 Parrots, &c. 3d. Gallinaceous Birds, with a strong thick bill, 

 nostrils large, and covered by a cartilaginous scale, and toes 

 partly united at the base, as Peacocks, Pheasants, Common Fowls, 

 Partridges, Pigeons, &c. 4th. Passerine Birds, without any of 

 the characteristics above mentioned, divided into those with the 

 beak notched on either side, as Butcher-birds, Flycatchers, Chat- 

 terers, Thrushes, Nightingales, Warblers, &c. ; those with the 

 mouth opening very far back, as Swallows, Goatsuckers, &c. ; 

 those with a strongconical unnotched beak, as Larks, Titmice, 

 Buntings, Linnets, Ilooks, &c. ; those with a slender curved beak, 

 as Hoopoes, Creepers, Humming-birds, King-fishers, &c. 5th. 

 Waders, with long naked legs, divided into those with wings 

 unfitted for flying, as ostriches ; with very short or no hind toe, 

 as Bustards, Plovers, Lapwings ; with a long broad, strong, and 

 generally sharp beak, as Cranes, Herons, Storks ; with a long, 

 slender, curved beak, as Curlews, Snipes, Woodcocks, &c. ; with 

 very long toes bordered by membrane, as Rails, Coots, Flamingoes, 

 &c. 6th. Swimmers, with webbed feet, divided into those with the 

 legs very near the tail, as Divers, Auks, Penguins, &c. ; with 

 very long powerful wings, as Petrels, Gulls, Cormorants, &c. ; 

 with a large fleshy tongue and a thick beak, covered with a 

 softish skin, and finely notched at the edges. 



BEISSON'S SYSTEM 



Is a purely artificial one. It is composed of twenty-six orders, 

 and one hundred and fifteen genera. The birds are classed : 



