ORDER PALMIPEDES. 67^ 



We are unwilling to close the ornithological portion of the 

 * Animal Kingdom,' without an observation or two on the 

 nature of the undertaking now submitted to the public, with 

 reference more especially to the attempt herein made to 

 allocate all the described species of birds according to the 

 system of Cuvier. 



It is notorious to every practical zoologist, that such an 

 attempt must partake in no small degree of imperfection, and 

 this, in all probability, is the reason why the Baron himself 

 has declined making it. The object to be attained may 

 appear, at first sight, sufficiently definite and tangible, and 

 to require little else than industry in its execution ; but a 

 slight experience will soon convince the essayist that nature 

 and art combine to render the perfect execution of such a 

 task impossible. 



This position applies, indeed, to all the classes of animals, 

 but with a force proportioned to the number of divisions and 

 subdivisions of the species in each. 



If it were possible personally to examine every species 

 quoted, one point of vast importance in referring each to its 

 proper situation would indeed be gained ; but even then the 

 partial deviations from the generic and subgeric characters, 

 the transition species, as they are called, diff'ering more or less 

 from the typical, would, in many instances, involve the sys- 

 tematist in great doubt and difficulty. 



But as personal inspection of all the species is impossible, 

 another and a greater difficulty arises from the study of many 

 of them, through the medium of books alone. The endless 

 synonyma which accident, ignorance, and too frequently 

 pedantic egotism have created, present an artificial barrier 

 against a complete arrangement, even if the natural difficulties 

 of the task could be overcome. Still we trust the attempt, 



X X 2 



