506 MR. A. H. GARROD ON THE ANATOMY [June 6, 



Puffinus nugax (Solander). 



Procellaria c^erulea, Gm. 



Both species breed in the mountainous parts of the islands ; and 

 my son obtained a specimen of the former, swimming on the Rewa 

 river. 



Phaeton ^thereus, L. 



Phaeton rubricauda, Bodd. 



Phaeton candidus, Gray. 



I have positively identified these three Phaetontes as inhabitants 

 of these islands. 



Diomedea melanophrys. 



Baron von Hiigel testifies that he saw this bird within sight of 

 Kandavu ; it may therefore claim a place in our avifauna. 



8. On some Anatomical Characters which bear upon the 

 Major Divisions of the Passerine Birds. — Part I. By 

 A. H. Garrod, M.A., F.Z.S., Prosector to the Society. 



[Keceived May 17, 1876.] 

 (Plates XLYIIT.-LIII.) 



A special analysis of the peculiarities of structure presented by 

 different Passerine birds can hardly be considered premature. Since 

 the investigations of Nitzsch, Sundevall, Keyserling and Blasius, 

 Johannes Midler, and Cabanis little of decided importance has been 

 made out with reference to the distinguishing characters of the 

 group or of its primary divisions, if we except the researches of 

 Professors Huxley and Parker on the palate in the class Aves 

 generally. A glance at the history of the Order will be the best 

 introduction which I can offer to the facts which it is my desire upon 

 tbe present occasion to bring before the Society. 



Although the name "Passeres" was coined by Linnaeus, that 

 illustrious naturalist did not appreciate the unity of the group, his 

 classification compelling him to include the Columbse in the order, 

 which was defined as having " rostrum conico-attenuatum," and 

 Paradisea, Corvus, together with Certhia among the " Picse," " rostro 

 superne compresso convexo." 



Cuvier, in 1 798 *, made a great step in advance by forming an order 

 " Passeres " to include all those now so called, together with those 

 non-swimming, non-wading,, non-climbing, non-raptorial, non-galli- 

 naceous birds in which there are not two toes of the foot retroverted. 



Nitzsch f was the first to appreciate the true limits of the order, 

 when in 1829 he grouped together the birds now termed Passeres 

 in a single section, entirely by themselves. 



* Tableau Elemcntaire, p. 199 et seq. 



!' Obsorviitiones tie Avium arteria carotide communi. 



