254 NATATORES. 
with their affinities, and with the station they seem naturally 
to hold), to remove to families of another order; as the 
genus Phenicopterus (Flamingo) to the family of Ardeade, 
and Recurvirostra (Avoset) to that of Scolopacide, in the 
order Grallatores ; the feet of these birds betokening more 
analogy than affinity to those of the true Natatores. The 
present order, like the preceding one, may be divided into 
five natural families, which (according to the nomenclature 
now adopted), are thus entitled, Anatide, Colymbide, Alca- 
de, Pelecanide, and Laride, each taking its designation 
from the typical or representative genus. Of these, the Co- 
lymbide and Alcade, possessing in a superior degree the 
structure and qualities that peculiarly fit them for living on 
the ocean, and being at the same time deficient in properties 
possessed. by the others, which are not so directly essential 
to that end, may be considered the typical representatives 
of the order ; for as the order itself, as Mr Vicors observes, 
is aberrant, inasmuch as it deviates from what he calls the 
more perfect structure* of the conterminous tribes or orders, 
the normal subdivisions will necessarily consist of such 
groups as carry this deviation to the greatest extreme, and 
this, upon investigation, will be found to prevail in the dif- 
ferent genera of these two families. The other three, which 
diverge more or less from the true natatorial form, as exhi- 
bited in the Colymbide and Alcad@, and approximate to 
each other, as well as to the families and groups of the pre- 
ceding orders, form the aberrant divisions. ‘The same cir- 
cular succession of affinities that prevails throughout the 
* When the words perfect structure are used, they must mean that pecu- 
liar formation which lies equally removed from the two extremes, con- 
sidered with respect to systematic arrangement; such, for instance, as 
the central (or typical) form of any division or family. This distinction 
seems necessary to be made, lest the term should be liable to misconstruce 
tion; as we know that every creature issued perfect from the hand of 
its Creator, that is, with such an adaptation of its parts and their func- 
tions to its peculiar habits as Almighty Wisdom alone could produce.— 
PS. 
