Australian Birds in the Collection of the Li?inean Soc/ett/. 175 

 Indian ocean, or which, accoidina; to the varied laws that reou- 



' — & 



kite the geographical distribution of the groups of ornithology, 

 are scattered almost indiscriminately over the globe. Beyond 

 these few instances, not only every species is new, but almost 

 every form is distinct from those which were familiar to Euro- 

 peans half a century ago. For such productions consequently 

 no generic names or minuter characters are to be found in the 

 works of Linnœus. And when we consider the totally new and 

 apparently anomalous peculiarities of these productions, it would 

 not be altogether unreasonable to suppose that no place could 

 be found, even in the greater divisions of his general system, 

 where they might be assembled according to their natural affi- 

 nities. But this is far from being the case. His mode of in- 

 terpreting the general laws of nature was so penetrating, and at 

 the same time so comprehensive, that provision is made in his 

 primary and leading divisions even for these novelties and 

 apparent anomalies. In including them, therefore, within the 

 pale of his system, merely by partially modifying and liberally 

 interpreting it, — and interpreting it solely accordina' to his own 

 instructions, — instead of making the arrangement which includes 

 these productions a large and unsightly excrescence of that 

 system, or a distinct, nay, a contradictory appendix to it, we 

 consider that we not merely do justice to the comprehensiveness 

 of his views, but confine ourselves within the strict principles of 

 the school which looks up to him as its founder. 



We feel much gratification in being able to state, that since 

 we commenced our examination of the birds in the vSociety's 

 collection, we have had the good fortune to obtain some valuable 

 information respecting the habits and internal structure of many 

 of the species ; and we may add, that we have a few important 

 facts in natural history to communicate, and several extensive 

 and strongly characterized groups to exhibit for the first time 



with 



