87 



SUPPLEMENT ON BIRDS IN GENERAL. 



Ornithology, the science of birds, includes two great divi- 

 sions : 1st, All that relates to the physicalities of the class, and 

 to their manners, habits, instincts, and intellectual qualities ; 

 and -2dly, The artificial classification of the species into orders, 

 genera, and minor subdivisions, to assist us in the study of the 

 interrelative peculiarities of the several species. As we shall 

 dismiss the consideration of the second of these divisions in a 

 very few words, it may be more convenient to enter upon it 

 first. 



Artificial ornithology, in common with the other branches of 

 zoology, is attended with all the difficulties in which matters of 

 indefinite excellence and human invention must ever be involved. 

 True it is, that what is called a natural method has a point to 

 arrive at in assimilating, or rather identifying, itself with the 

 divisions of nature ; but, as has been before observed, these 

 divisions are, in fact, rather fancied than real ; and however 

 decided they may appear on a superficial view, close examina- 

 tion will soon detect the links which connect them with each 

 other. Hence all systems, though founded on nature, must be 

 to a great extent artificial, or the objects of their creation will 

 be defeated ; for, to adopt all the aberrations of nature would 

 be to describe all the species. 



Since his time, the system of Linnieus has veiy generally and 

 very deservedly prevailed in the arrangement of this class. That 

 of our author may, by no great latitude of expression, be said to 

 be an improvement of his ; and the R^gne Animal, in this respect, 

 maybe considered an improved edition of the 6't/sfema A afi^rte. 

 Several other systems have also arisen ; but the celebrity of the 

 men, and the intrinsic merits of those of Linnaeus and Cuvier, 

 have fixed the public choice on them, and will in all probability 

 consecrate their systems to general use when the others are 

 neglected or forgotten. With a view, however, of condensing 



