298 FIRST PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL CLASSIFICATION. 
this transportation occasioned by our ignorance of some 
unknown law of variation in analogies, resulting from the 
peculiar situation of the groups compared, in the higher 
circles to which they belong? Let us first try to verify 
the former supposition, and see what results would attend 
such a disposition of the analogies. 
Circle of the Tenuirostres. Circle of the Insessores. Circle of the Class Aves. 
Trochilide. Tenuirostres. GRALLATORES. 
Cinnyride. Fissirostres. NATATORES. 
Meliphagide. Scansores. RASORES. 
Paradiside. 2 Conirostres. INSESSORES. 
Promeropide. Dentirostres. RAPTORES. 
(362.) It might be perfectly easy to show analogies 
(whether true or false is not now the question) between 
the Trochilide and the Tenuirostres,—the Meliphagide 
and the Scansores, —- the Paradiside and the Coni- 
rostres ; but when we proceeded to the others, and en- 
deavoured to make out what possible resemblance, even 
the most remote, can be found between the Cinnyride 
and the Fissirostres, the Promeropide and the Denti- 
rostres, we must give up the whole theory of stating 
analogies on these principles ; for only three out of five 
wear the least appearance of truth, and even these violate 
many other conclusions of a more certain nature. The 
Melliphagide, for instance, are related to the Scansores 
by affinity and not by analogy, because they form the 
immediate passage, or point of connection, between the 
Tenuirostres and the climbing birds. 
(363.) Nor shall we get over this difficulty by stating 
the question under another form, viz., by preserving 
the natural series of the insessorial and the primary 
circles, but transposing that of the Tvochilide, thus : — 
Primary Circles. Transposed Cirele of True Circleof True Circle of the 
the Trochilide. the Insessores. Orders. 
1. Typical. Trochilide. Conirostres. INSESSORES. 
2. Sub-typical. Cinnyride. Dentirostres. RaAPTORES. 
Promeropide. Fissirostres. NATATORES. 
3, Aberrant. } Paradise Tenuirostres. GRALLATORES. 
Meliphagide., Scansores. RASORES. 
But here our difficulties, so far from being diminished, 
are increased: in the first place, we make absolute 
affinity subordinate to the purpose of preserving an ap- 
pearance of regularity in our analogical series; for it can 
