3990 The Zoologist— May, 1874. 



■whole family of petrels are exceptions in this poiut also, and may have to 

 be put in the next order, amongst the Cicouiiformes. 



" The Ciconiiformes include amongst them the Accipitres, but myology 

 is in no point more clear than with regard to the unnaturalness of that 

 family as at present defined. Every eagle, hawk, true vulture and owl, has 

 for formula A. The secretary bird, which is generally placed with them, is 

 represented by B X Y ; from which it is seeu to be as different from them 

 as it can possibly be. This shows that the position of Serpentarius must 

 be changed ; that it is not a raptorial bird at all ; and that, as in formula 

 and general appearance it resembles Cariama, it must be placed near it and 

 the bustards. Similar arguments indicate that the Cathartidoe are not true 

 Accipitrine birds, but must form an independent family, though still in the 

 same order as the falcons. 



" The Charadriiformes all possess the peculiar nasal arrangement which 

 I have termed Schizorhinal. The Turnicidse and Parridse are included with 

 the Limicolse, and the Pteroclidte with the Columbse. 



" The justification of many of the smaller divisions of the above orders 

 will be seen by comparing the myological formula;, and by a review of the 

 osteological, pterylographical, and visceral arrangement of each. 



" In any attempt at classification on new facts, it must be remembered 

 that there must be great inequality in the importance of the results arrived 

 at in each order as freshly defined. In one family there may be a uniformity 

 in a particular structure which is greater than could possibly have been 

 expected ; whilst in another the previously constant character may be one 

 of the most uncertain. For instance, the left carotid artery is alone present 

 in all the Passerine birds that have ever been examined ; but amongst the 

 bustards the great bustard has two, Denham's only the right, and Tetrax 

 only the left. Therefore it is not to be wondered at that myology is equally 

 uncertain in its indications sometimes, though on other occasions its teaching 

 is most decided. In the above attempt at a new arrangement, it has been 

 my endeavour to bring forward the results of observations made during a 

 considerable time, with the facts obtained fi'om previous work always kept 

 prominently in the foreground." — Reprinted from ' Nature,' Fehrum-y 12. 



Although I have said I shall give no opinion on the merits of this 

 classification, I may express the pleasure I feel at finding a natu- 

 ralist of Mr. Ganod's power devoting his abilities to classification, 

 a subject so generally neglected. The theory of Evolution would 

 make every bird the descendant of the same monad, and thus 

 abrogate the reign of law; and the taste for name-changing is now 

 so prevalent that we may say of names — 



" That of an hour's age doth hiss the speaker, 

 Each minute teems a new one." 



