OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 3I 



and each of these systematists having his followers writing and 

 publishing under the system they favor most, produce the confusion 

 SO much complained of. 



The subject of classification is now under consideration by a 

 committee of the most able living Ornithologists, and it is to be 

 hoped that their labors will result in the arrangement of a system of 

 universal application which will be practically permanent. 



As regards American birds, there are at present two different 

 lists of names before the public, — one by Dr. Elliot Coues, a most 

 accomplished scholar and brilliant writer, and another by Mr. Robt. 

 Ridgeway, the accurate, careful curator of the bird department of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. Either of these ni'ght be quite 

 sufficient were the other out of the way, but having two only leads 

 to confusion. 



In most of the older systems it was customary to place the 

 birds of prey first on the list, in consideration of their great size and 

 strength, the noble (?) eagle occupying a place in the foremost 

 ranks; better acquaintance with these birds shows us, however, that 

 they do not possess the noble qualities attributed to them, that they 

 are slovenly and irregular in their habits, often gorging themselves 

 with carrion, and remaining for days in a state of dozing stu- 

 pidity till the calls of hunger again force them out in search of 

 things new and old. 



I think it was Professor Lilgeborg, of Upsala, who first advo- 

 cated the view that the birds entitled to the highest rank should be 

 those which are possessed of the greatest amount of nervous 

 irritability, and have all bird-like peculiarities most fully developed. 

 When we consider that these peculiarities include swimming on the 

 water, hopping on the ground, perching on trees, hopping nimbly 

 from branch to branch and making their presence known by their 

 characteristic and melodious voices, we readily see the justice of 

 giving the first place to the passeres, or perching birds, all of which 

 have a much higher organization than the birds of prey. This 

 arrangement is adopted generally by both Dr. Coues and Mr. 

 Ridgeway, yet they differ slightly in detail, one giving the first place 

 to our familiar garden songster, the Robin, and the other to the 

 Wood Thrush, a handsome bird of shy and retiring habits, seldom 

 seen except in its favorite haunts in the bush. These and similar 



