30 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. IV. 



and Shufeldt, and these were more or less confused by the 

 pecuHarities proposed by their predecessors, and could not 

 deal clearly with the matters in view. Each, however, endea- 

 voured to improve the subject, and, as a matter of fact, the 

 classification suggested by the last named is worthy of much 

 consideration. The present essay is an attempt to deal 

 broadly with the subject from the knowledge of the birds 

 themselves, due consideration being given to the anatomy 

 and osteology, but without deference to the views of incom- 

 petent writers, some of whom without reason have endeavoured 

 to dominate avian taxonomy. 



As Sharpe pointed out, it is impossible adequately to express 

 a scheme of avian classification in linear sequence. We agree 

 to this, and consequently the most difficult task is to arrange 

 the forms without too much disagreement. Since Sharpe's 

 Review of recent attempts to classify Birds, schemes by Gadow, 

 Beddard, Shufeldt, Reichenow and Sharpe himself have 

 been published, and, as Shufeldt remarked when he pubhshed 

 his own, the differences are extraordinary. Shufeldt laid 

 down laws which are worthy of repetition, and which we have 

 always maintained, thus : "In our efEorts, too, to seek out 

 the true relationship of birds in order to arrive at a natural 

 classification we must take into consideration, in the broadest 

 possible sense, their embryology, their oology and nidology ; 

 their habits and comparative longevity, and even their various 

 notes and songs must be given due weight . . . indeed ptilosis, 

 pterylography and osteology stand among the most important 

 factors at our command. . . . Their geographical distribution, 

 a very important factor to be studied in their taxonomy, is to 

 be considered not only from the view-point of the present 

 distribution of the species of the class over the earth's surface, 

 but likewise a comprehension, as far as possible, of the question 

 as to how that distribution came about. . . It is extremely 

 unsafe and dangerous to the science of this subject, however, 

 to thus employ the osseous system alone. ... A comparative 

 study of the beaks and feet ; the various characters presented 

 on the parts of the plumage, especially as to colour, structure 

 and style, often constitute admirable checks on a classificatory 



