CUVIERIAN SYSTEM. — BIRDS. 173 



ferences, are highly valuable. But, in arranging these 

 into a comprehensive form, our author falls far short of 

 his illustrious predecessor. He has rested his distinc- 

 tions, as we have already seen, upon characters which, 

 however good, are not' always comprehensible, except to 

 the anatomist. The utility of his system, for general 

 use, is consequently much diminished, and it gives the 

 student an impression (certainly an erroneous one) that 

 the internal, and not the external, structure of an animal 

 alone decides its place in nature. These difBculties are 

 further increased by the want of those synoptical tables, 

 so admirably constructed by Linnaeus, where the essen- 

 tial characters of each group are clearly and luminously 

 stated, and where the eye, at a single glance, can em- 

 brace them all. On the other hand, we cannot but 

 admire the precision with which the anatomical distinc- 

 tions of many of the minor groups are made out, and the 

 vast additions which this celebrated writer has made to 

 the other details of zoology. His work, with all its 

 imperfections of arrangement, has been justly designated 

 a " mine of wealth, as rich as it is inexhaustible." 



(226.) The class of birds is arranged in the follow- 

 ing method ; the whole being divided into six great 

 orders, five of which are natural, namely, the Raptores, 

 the Insessores, the Rasores, the Grallatores, and the 

 Natatores of this work ; the sixth being composed of 

 the climbing birds (Scansores), which Linnaeus, more 

 correctly, arranged with the Passeres or, Perchers. 



Order I. AccipitresX. 

 Vulture Family. 

 Vultur. 

 Catliartes, 

 Percnopterus. 

 Gypaetos. 



Falcon Family. 

 FaUo L. 

 Hierofaico Cat'. 

 Aquila .-tuct. 

 Haliiectus Sav. 

 Pandion Sav. 

 Circxtus P'ieil. 



Harpyia Cuv. 

 Morphnus Cuv. 

 Cymindis Cuu. 

 Astur Cuv. 

 Milvus Bech. 

 Buteo Bech. 

 Circus Beck. 

 Gypogeranus Uliger 



Owl Family. 



Otas (Asio Antiq.) 

 Ulula Cuv. 

 Strix Sav. 

 Syniium Sav. 



